


Made for You

by massuneko



Category: VIXX
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Band, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-15
Updated: 2017-11-06
Packaged: 2019-01-17 16:58:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 32,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12370065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/massuneko/pseuds/massuneko
Summary: When his father said that he'd assign a bodyguard for Taekwoon, he didn't thought that someone like Ravi would show up. He never asked for a bodyguard, even less someone like Ravi, but it seemed that he didn't have much choices.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I tweeted about this a while ago, and finally got to write it down properly. As usual, it got out of hand, so I'm separating them into chapters. I'll try to update regularly, but I can't promise much. Please enjoy.

Taekwoon thought that his father was joking when he said that he’d hire a bodyguard or two for him. But when he went to the dining room for a breakfast that morning, still somewhat groggy from lack of sleep, he was proven wrong. There was an unfamiliar face joining his family in the room, although he wasn’t sitting at the table with the rest of his family. The unknown man stood straight behind Taekwoon’s father, flashing a thin smile and a small nod as Taekwoon walked towards the table.

“Taekwoon, meet your new bodyguard, Ravi. Ravi, this is my son, Taekwoon.”

His father already answered his question before he even raised it, and Taekwoon only stared at Ravi with blank expression. He didn’t expect that his father would be so quick in finalizing his decision. But then again, he was always like that, so it shouldn’t be a surprise.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Young Master,” greeted Ravi. His voice was deep and raspy, a good fit for his masculine look. Taekwoon only nodded in reply, not really interested in having a bodyguard anyway. He thought that maybe if he acted cold towards that bodyguard, he’d quit faster.

“Look at him not even bothering to greet you back,” said his father to Ravi. Ravi grinned widely and told him that it’s okay, looking like a schoolboy rather than a bodyguard, and it made Taekwoon frowned. It’s only their first meeting and Taekwoon already had mountain of doubts towards Ravi.

He felt glad when Ravi himself decided to wait outside the room instead of lingering there for the rest of breakfast. He ate in silence, pretending to listen to his father’s speech for that morning. Politics never really interested him, and thankfully his father thought that his eldest sister was much a better candidate to take over his position in the future.

With his breakfast quickly cleaned up, Taekwoon excused himself since he had a morning schedule. He placed a quick kiss on his mother’s forehead before heading out. Ravi was still nowhere to be seen, and he thought that his father had hired one really sloppy bodyguard. But when he entered the car, he nearly jumped at Ravi’s casual greeting. Apparently the bodyguard was already in the front passenger seat.

The whole ride to the photo studio was silent. Taekwoon opted to listening to the music from his phone, while Ravi silently glanced around from the window like a tourist. Taekwoon couldn’t help but roll his eyes at the sight, adding more to the list why Ravi shouldn’t be his bodyguard.

Taekwoon’s manager was already in the location when they arrived. The art director gave Taekwoon some brief before sending him to the hair and makeup section. She then turned her attention to Ravi, who beamed at her and offered his hand as he introduced himself.

“My name’s Ravi. Mr. Jung assigned me to take care of his son’s safety,” said Ravi. That was all Taekwoon saw and heard before he got into the other room.

When he emerged again, ready for the shoot, he saw Ravi had already chatted up and laughing with the other crews, blending in as if he worked there as a staff too. Taekwoon shook his head in dissatisfaction as he walked into the set, determined to get his job done as quickly as possible.

The photoshoot was wrapped up with minimum struggle. Taekwoon disappeared into the changing room once again to clean up his make up and changed back into his casual attire. He looked around for his manager, wanting to reconfirm his next schedule, but he seemed to be in the middle of discussion with the art director.

“Need something?” asked Ravi, who popped out suddenly. Taekwoon jolted a little, and he’s glad that at least he didn’t let out any weird sounds.

“None that you can help,” murmured Taekwoon coldly as he eyed at his manager, glaring in hope that he would notice.

“Your next shot is for the jeans ad, ten minutes ride from here, but it’s still one hour from now. If you want, we can have small break at the cafe around the corner. A table is already reserved, just in case it’ll be crowded,” explained Ravi as he checked on his watch. Taekwoon turned towards him with a frown, not expecting him to learn his schedule and habit already. Still, he said nothing and continued to glare at his manager. Ravi didn’t seem to mind about his lack of reaction, only coughing loudly once to get Taekwoon’s manager turned towards them.

Taekwoon decided to take the coffee break offer, slipping on his sunglasses and mask to cover his face. Usually he would ask his manager to walk by his side, but he said that he still had some stuffs to take care of, so Taekwoon walked with Ravi instead. He was glad that the walk was short, since he was still feeling uncomfortable walking around with someone he didn’t know. When they arrived, Ravi told the employee about his reservation and told Taekwoon to go have a seat. Taekwoon wanted to protest, since he wanted to order his own coffee, but Ravi smiled knowingly at him.

“Vanilla latte, with a shot of caramel sauce, and one pack of sugar, right?” asked Ravi. Taekwoon was about to say that he wanted something else, but he took a glance at the menu and sighed in defeat. He’s not really up to trying something different just yet.

“Brown sugar, not the regular one,” said Taekwoon before he turned to follow an employee to his reserved seat. The position was pretty much hidden from the public, but he still could see the cashier counter from his seat. Taekwoon only sighed and pulled out his phone, playing music until he saw someone sitting across him with two cups in hand. At first Taekwoon thought it was Ravi, but apparently it was his manager.

“Where’s Ravi?” he asked as he lowered his mask to take a sip of his coffee.

“He said he forgot his jacket at the studio, so he’s running to get it,” he explained. Taekwoon rolled his eyes, slowly sipping his coffee. At least he didn’t forget how Taekwoon liked his coffee.

His cup was already half empty when Ravi returned, hair messed up a little, jacket on and an iced coffee in his hand. Taekwoon noticed that there was a particularly large coffee stain on Ravi’s shirt under his jacket.

“Got your jacket?” asked the manager, although the answer was obvious. Ravi chuckled and cocked his neck, looking somewhat relieved.

“I’m lucky that they still keep it and not throwing it out already. I like this one very much,” replied Ravi. Taekwoon snorted into his coffee, mentally writing down yet another reason why Ravi wasn’t fit to be his bodyguard.

“We should get going. Although the street is relatively empty, we can’t take any risks of being late,” said the manager. Ravi frowned at the statement.

“I thought we still have half an hour—ah, damn, I didn’t realize it’s dead.” Ravi shrugged his sleeve a little to check on his watch, but he covered it back almost instantly after seeing that it’s no longer ticking. Taekwoon rolled his eyes again, thankful that at least his sunglasses were still on so it should be unnoticed. He drained his cup in one go, putting it back to the table before following his manager into the car.

Ravi was still holding the iced coffee as he got into the car, even until they reached the destination. He didn’t seem to be drinking it, and Taekwoon wondered if it’s because he actually disliked it. Whatever the reason was, Taekwoon told himself that it’s none of his business anyway.

Just like in the previous studio, Ravi introduced himself as Taekwoon’s bodyguard, then proceeded to chat with the entire crew as if he really belonged there as part of the team. Taekwoon even noticed Ravi helping them moving some stuffs, and he couldn’t help but shook his head disapprovingly at the scene.

When the shoot was wrapped up, Ravi had somewhat exchanged his shirt with a gimmick tee of the jeans’ brand, and his right wrist and palm were bandaged. Taekwoon frowned at the change of attire, and it must be obvious that he was judging Ravi really hard because the man grinned sheepishly.

“They gave me this since I’m sweating too much helping them around. I also think I sprained my wrist,” explained Ravi before Taekwoon even raised a question. Taekwoon exhaled loudly.

“Aren’t you supposed to be my bodyguard?” asked Taekwoon with irritated tone. Ravi was smiling warmly at him, and Taekwoon only got even more irritated with that.

“I’m still prioritizing your safety above everything,” replied Ravi firmly.

“Whatever…” mumbled Taekwoon, putting on his sunglasses again as they walked to the car to the next studio.

* * *

It only had been two weeks but Taekwoon’s list was already full with what sort of things he disliked from Ravi. Sure, Ravi was quick to learn about his preferences and schedules, but he was also a gigantic goofball that managed to make small mistakes almost every time. None of it affected Taekwoon’s schedule or anything, thankfully, but he looked more and more like a total klutz instead of a capable bodyguard.

Plus, aside from his first day of work, he never seemed to wear those crisp white shirt anymore. Although nothing he wore was hideous, it was still way too casual. Taekwoon wondered if he watched too much movies that showed muscular bodyguards with crisp black and white suits, with serious face and stiff postures. But then again, although Ravi did dress up in suits on his first day, he didn’t look like those bodyguards in movies anyway.

Despite Taekwoon’s clear dislike towards Ravi, his manager and the other production crews he worked with seemed to like him. Hongbin, in particular, even joked to Ravi about wanting him to model for him once or twice, in which Ravi answered with laughter, “Maybe later, after I got fired from my company.” Taekwoon clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction, knowing that Hongbin wasn’t the type to joke around about being his model. The photographer had such high standard Taekwoon himself had difficulty to fulfill sometimes.

There was also Hakyeon, the famous makeup artist whose work was like magic, being spotted to talk and laugh a lot with Ravi. They had just met on set, but when the shoot was wrapped up, they seemed as if they had known each other for ages.

“Bye, Woonie, Ravi! Let’s meet at the next shot!” said Hakyeon as he waved at both of them. Taekwoon waved back, and he saw how Ravi seemed to be more enthusiastic than himself.

“Hakyeon didn’t say anything weird, did he?” asked Taekwoon as he let Ravi opened the car’s door for him.

“That depends on what you perceive as ‘weird’,” replied Ravi with a playful grin. Taekwoon groaned internally. He would have to confront Hakyeon himself to know just what stuffs he said to Ravi.

* * *

It had been two whole months and Taekwoon had enough. Every time Taekwoon didn’t keep an eye on him, Ravi would always manage to hurt himself in a way or another. He got bruises from slamming onto doors and walls and poles and whatnot, got his muscles pulled or strained from helping the crews around and somehow tripping on his own feet, and even burns from accidentally spilling his own coffee. One time, Taekwoon also caught him sleeping soundly on the couch outside Taekwoon’s room, with TV still on although it was muted. Really, how could a bodyguard be that sloppy?

“Can you fire him, or have him replaced with someone more capable?” asked Taekwoon to his father at his study after dinner. Ravi was nowhere to be seen, as always, despite claiming that he would watch over Taekwoon all the time.

“Are you sure?” asked his father with an eyebrow raised. Taekwoon gave out a long exhale.

“He’s doing nothing but goofing off day and night. I’m very sure I don’t need him,” replied Taekwoon firmly. His father gestured him to sit down and Taekwoon complied.

“I guess that you’re having some disagreements with Ravi. But let me assure you, he’s the best in the company. He excelled at all tasks given to him, and he has one of the highest rates. You are my one and only son. I’m not hiring Ravi for you without any solid proof of his competence,” explained his father. Taekwoon had to prevent himself from snorting loudly at that. Everything he saw in Ravi was nothing but clumsiness.

“I’m sorry, Father, but Ravi is assigned to me. I’m the one who see his performance every day. And from what I saw in the past two months, I don’t think he’s capable enough to be my bodyguard,” said Taekwoon firmly. His father exhaled and shrugged.

“Fine. But I can’t dismiss him right away. There are paperworks I have to take care of, and it’ll take… around a month or so,” said his father. One month. It was quite a long time, but Taekwoon couldn’t complain. Just the promise to get rid of Ravi from his life was already relieving enough.

“Thank you, Father,” said Taekwoon. He then excused himself, but stopping at the door when his father called his name.

“Remember, during that one month, you can always tell me if you want to take back the cancellation,” he informed. Taekwoon nodded quietly, then closed the door behind his back.

Ravi was sitting at the couch outside Taekwoon’s room, staring seriously at his phone. But when he heard Taekwoon stepping closer, he raised his gaze and gave Taekwoon a warm smile. The change of expression made Taekwoon’s stomach churned a little.

“Calling it a night already?” asked Ravi. Taekwoon only nodded in reply as he turned the doorknob. “Good night, then, Young Master. Sweet dream,” Ravi added as he waved at Taekwoon. Taekwoon didn’t answer him and only got into his room to sleep.

He sighed as he threw himself to the bed. One month. Just one more month and Ravi would be gone.

* * *

It was one of the days off Taekwoon really loved to have, and he already asked Hakyeon out for some coffee. Just as usual, Hakyeon agreed almost instantly, squeezing it into his schedule no matter how busy he was. Taekwoon really wanted to talk to someone about how he could finally get rid of Ravi. But of course, Ravi would be following him to the coffee shop as well, so he had already talked to him about staying away from his table.

“I don’t like having a stranger listening to me and my friend chatting about private matters,” explained Taekwoon. As usual, Ravi agreed to stay away almost too easily.

When they arrived at the coffee shop, Hakyeon was already inside. Taekwoon walked over to him, while Ravi opted to sit at the outdoor table. Hakyeon noticed the gesture, and looked at Taekwoon with a raised eyebrow.

“I told him I want a private time with you,” explained Taekwoon as he sat down, calling a waiter to make his order.

“Too bad. I want to talk with Ravi too. He’s fun and always has interesting stuffs to discuss,” said Hakyeon with a shrug.

“Well maybe I’ll let the two of you meet up sometime, before his contract ends,” replied Taekwoon nonchalantly.

“And when that’ll be?” asked Hakyeon teasingly. He guessed that Taekwoon’s father hired Ravi for at least a year, maybe more. Ravi never really disclosed it with him.

“By the end of this month. I’m dismissing him early,” replied Taekwoon. Hakyeon’s jaw dropped in pure surprise.

“Oh, Woonie, why?” asked Hakyeon, completely baffled with what Taekwoon said.

“He’s really sloppy at his job, and it’s getting on my nerve. So rather than having my father spending his money on something unnecessary, I requested to dismiss him,” replied Taekwoon coldly. Hakyeon was so ready to scold Taekwoon loudly, if only the waiter didn’t come with Taekwoon’s coffee. He calmed himself down a little before talking to Taekwoon.

“How do you know that he’s sloppy? As far as I can get, he’s doing good. Terrific, even,” said Hakyeon. Taekwoon sighed into his cup and put it down again.

“He’s been fooling around with the staffs, gossiping and all. Plus, he got all sorts of lame accidents—tripping on his own feet, slamming onto any vertical surface, etcetera. He even fell asleep at the couch with TV on!” complained Taekwoon. Hakyeon took a quick sip before he stared at Taekwoon with completely serious face.

“Okay, let me be a bit fair here. As one of the staffs Ravi often talked to, I know that he’s not fooling around. I admit that he’s really easygoing, so myself and the other staffs don’t feel intimidated talking to him. He always asks us if there’s anything unusual, or just anything that make us feel somewhat uncomfortable, then checks it for us. He also helps us to check the equipments, so that there will be less on-site accident we didn’t predict. And if he did find something unusual, he’d fix it and reassure us that everything had been handled. He even cracked some jokes to lighten the mood. And before you ask, yes, I’m defending Ravi in your case,” explained Hakyeon. Taekwoon frowned deeply and looked at Hakyeon with judging stare.

“Is he, really?” asked Taekwoon. Hakyeon already seemed so done.

“I swear on my entire career, Jung Taekwoon. If you just… I don’t know, talk to him more, maybe you’ll understand,” said Hakyeon before he sipped on his coffee again. Taekwoon was obviously pouting, still not liking the idea of getting friendly with Ravi.

“It still doesn’t change the fact that he got hurt all the time over his own clumsiness,” mumbled Taekwoon. Hakyeon’s eyebrows were raised so high they disappeared behind his carefully trimmed bangs.

“Have you ever seen him actually bumping on doors or whatever the bad lie he told you?” asked Hakyeon. Taekwoon frowned again, then slowly shook his head. He never really saw Ravi doing something as careless as that. If there’s any, it’s Ravi who pulled him aside when he almost stepped on a puddle.

“Although I didn’t see it, doesn’t mean that it’s all lie,” defended Taekwoon. Hakyeon gave out a long sigh, then pulled out his phone to open some news portal.

Hakyeon made Taekwoon listed down the occurance when Ravi was out of his sight then returned with small injury, as well as where they were at that moment. When Hakyeon typed down the date and location, there were small news about people getting caught after causing some ruckus, and they later were identified as stalkers of a celebrity ‘L’.

“Yeonnie, I know my stage name is ‘Leo’, but there are a lot of other celebrities whose name started with ‘L’. Also, it can be just a coincidence,” argued Taekwoon. Hakyeon was staring him with a look that can compete with Hongbin’s constant judging face.

“Coincidence is something that happens once in awhile. Your handsome bodyguard stopping those stalkers from following you is something else,” said Hakyeon. “Plus, he got rid one of mine as well, only because he saw me being uncomfortable. He’s a keeper, Woonie. You can’t just dismiss him.”

Taekwoon sank into his seat, drinking his coffee again. Thoughts were running in his mind. Was Ravi really doing his job that well? Hakyeon’s words somewhat made sense. But then again, why would Ravi lied about all those injuries? If Taekwoon knew what actually happened, he could probably feel more sympathetic towards Ravi.

“Try talking with him more before you end his contract, okay? And if you really end his contract, can you ask your dad to give the company’s number to me? If I can afford him, maybe I’ll hire him,” said Hakyeon, adding a wink at the end of his sentence. Taekwoon rolled his eyes and drank more of his coffee.

Their meeting ended because Hakyeon still had a work schedule, so Taekwoon had to bid him goodbye and good luck. He stayed a little bit more before messaging Ravi that he’s done. After paying the bills, he stepped out and found Ravi already waiting by the car. As he entered the car, he noticed a bruise on Ravi’s cheek, previously hidden from the angle he was standing.

“What happened to your face?” asked Taekwoon. Ravi seemed blanked for a second, before grinning widely at Taekwoon.

“I bumped to the shop’s door. Didn’t realize it was closed,” replied Ravi lightly before he closed Taekwoon’s door and went to the front passenger seat.

As they pulled away, Taekwoon glanced at the coffee shop’s entrance. The folding doors was widely opened, and there were flower pots around them to secure them in place. There was no logical way that Ravi would bump to them.

* * *

The very first thing Taekwoon did when they arrived home was to check the news. He typed the location of the coffee shop and looked for the newest one. There was one, a man getting caught following someone in that coffee shop after one of the visitors noticed his odd behavior. The stalker rampaged a little, but then subdued by the unnamed visitor, and later brought to the nearest police station.

With a little more search, Taekwoon managed to find people taking pictures and videos of the incident. Most pictures and videos were blurred, but eventually he found some that were clear enough.

There was no way that Taekwoon could mistake that face as someone else but Ravi.

He read the comment threads under that clear picture of Ravi. Most people were talking about just how handsome this stranger was, and some people even dropped their contact information if anyone knew who Ravi was since they want him to be their model. But among those comments, he also found some that stated that they had seen Ravi catching several stalkers at other occasions as well, making people speculating that he’s an undercover police or some sort. After reading some more comments, Taekwoon put his phone on sleep mode and sighed.

One thing for sure, he had to admit that Hakyeon was probably right. Ravi really was protecting him, all while making very bad lies about how he got his injuries. Pulling himself up from the bed reluctantly, he walked towards his room’s door. He wanted to find Ravi and asked him about those things.

Apparently, he didn’t have to search at all, since Ravi was sitting at the couch outside his room, watching history channel with sound muted. Ravi torn his gaze from the TV and offered him a wide smile, just as always. But this time, for some reasons, it made Taekwoon’s chest squeezed uncomfortably.

“Ravi, I need to talk,” he said as he walked closer. Ravi nodded and turned the TV off, patting the couch beside him. Taekwoon took the space offered to him, but still making sure that he kept a distance.

“What can I help you with, Young Master?” asked Ravi formally. Taekwoon cringed at the way Ravi addressed him when they’re home.

“Okay, first of all, I want you to stop calling me ‘Young Master’. Just ‘Taekwoon’ is fine. Now, that aside, I want you to tell me what actually happen to you to cause that bruise on your face,” said Taekwoon firmly. Ravi giggled nervously at that.

“I’ve told you, I bumped—”

“I saw the shop’s door. You can’t possibly bump into it. And I see the news. Now tell me, what caused that bruise?” cut Taekwoon impatiently. Ravi gave out a long sigh, his grin disappearing although he still kept a thin smile.

“I got into a fight with someone outside the coffee shop. I’m sorry,” answered Ravi, more honest this time.

“You received punches from that stalker, but you threw none. You just held him in place so that he wouldn’t hurt anyone else until police came,” said Taekwoon. It’s not even a question. He saw everything in other people’s recording, and he’s not blind. Ravi licked his lips and nodded.

“Is that how you get your other bruises and cuts as well? Noticing a stalker or two, taking their punch and kicks and whatnot, then subduing them until police arrived?” asked Taekwoon. Ravi bit his lips, and before he could say anything, Taekwoon added, “I want you to tell me the truth and only truth.”

Silence hung between them for a moment, before finally Ravi replied, “Yes.”

Taekwoon gave out a tired sigh. “Then why do you always dismiss it as some… clumsy act and such? Why don’t you tell me that there was a stalker outside just now but everything’s fine because you’ve kicked their butt?” demanded Taekwoon.

“Young Ma—I mean, Taekwoon. If I told you that there were stalkers just outside the location, or even inside, disguised as staffs, wouldn’t you feel uncomfortable afterwards?” asked Ravi. Taekwoon frowned at the question, about to say that he didn’t care, but actually he did care. He would be really nervous if he knew that there were stalkers following him to his workplace, or even places where he hung out with his friends.

“I know that you will feel uncomfortable, so I never tell you. I’m only following the standard procedure to keep you safe and comfortable,” added Ravi, still with a warm smile on his lips.

“You made me think that you’re just fooling around,” said Taekwoon, spilling his own beans. Ravi laughed at that, and Taekwoon could feel his face getting hotter.

“Good to know that I’m doing a great job,” said Ravi teasingly. Taekwon gave out a long exhale, thinking about just how close he was to firing Ravi despite him doing his job splendidly.

“Okay… From now on, I need you to be honest with me. I don’t want to hear you lying about tripping on your own feet and bumping on something and other lame excuses. Am I clear?” demanded Taekwoon. Ravi looked at him, and Taekwoon saw hesitation in his eyes.

“Are you really okay with that?” asked Ravi. Taekwoon nodded firmly. “Okay, then. I promise I will never lie to you again,” said Ravi.

Taekwoon then excused himself and went straight to his father’s study. He was relieved when he found that he was still awake.

“Father, about Ravi… I take back what I said. I don’t want to dismiss him just yet,” said Taekwoon. He didn’t miss the teasing smirk his father had, but he opted not to comment about it.

“Very well. Good to know that you’re feeling comfortable with his company now,” commented his father.

“Well, he… He’s trying his best, I guess. I have to appreciate that,” admitted Taekwoon. After bidding good night to his father, he returned to his room, passing by Ravi who already had the TV on once again.

“Good night, Taekwoon. Sweet dreams,” waved Ravi. Taekwoon nodded and clicked the door shut.


	2. Chapter 2

Ravi was still around when Taekwoon got to work with Hakyeon again in the following month, and Hakyeon gave him a playful grin. He finally admitted to Hakyeon that after clearing the misunderstanding with Ravi, he saw no point in dismissing him.

“Aw, I was looking forward to experience how does it feel to be protected by Ravi 24/7,” teased Hakyeon as he gently pulled the corner of Taekwoon’s eye. Taekwoon would have slapped him hard if Hakyeon wasn’t in the middle of lining his eyes.

“I’ll lend him to you if you want to,” replied Taekwoon. Hakyeon pulled his hands back and chuckled.

When they got out from the changing room, Ravi was already talking with Hongbin, laughing loudly as he shook his head. But as soon as his eyes caught Taekwoon, he quickly turned and waved to him, making Hongbin turned as well.

“Wow, Hakyeon, you really worked magic! You look amazing, Leo,” praised Hongbin. Both Hakyeon and Taekwoon thanked him, then Taekwoon stepped into the set while Ravi walked over to Hakyeon so that Hongbin and the other staffs could do their job.

“What are you talking with Hongbin earlier?” asked Hakyeon, couldn’t hide his curiosity. Ravi chuckled and shook his head.

“He pleaded to me to show him my abs, since apparently he’s looking for a model with, and I quote, ‘chocolate abs’, but none of the models signing up to him came up to his standard yet,” replied Ravi nervously. Hakyeon eyed his torso before his sight returned to Ravi’s eyes, smiling teasingly.

“And do you have chocolate abs, Ravi?” teased Hakyeon. Ravi raised his eyebrows, sight went to the set. The shirt Taekwoon wore was see-through, letting people to see the soft muscles underneath.

“At the very least I know that mine is more sculpted than Taekwoon’s,” replied Ravi with a grin. Hakyeon was mildly amused at the answer. Sure, Taekwoon wasn’t really all that muscular, but his body was nicely built and it tickled Hakyeon’s curiosity.

“Oh, really? Show me?” asked Hakyeon. Ravi chuckled nervously and shook his head.

“No, please don’t,” pleaded Ravi. But Hakyeon quickly reached out and grasped firmly on Ravi’s shirt, trying to pull it up while Ravi tried to keep it down.

“Aw, come on! Just a peek! Or are you lying about your abs?” teased Hakyeon. Ravi was chuckling again.

“No, no, I’m not lying, but please don’t lift my shirt,” pleaded Ravi. But after a little more struggle, Hakyeon managed to lift Ravi’s shirt a little, only to reveal a particularly big and purple-greenish bruise on his side. Hakyeon gasped, and Ravi took that chance to pull his shirt down again, this time with more serious expression.

“It’s not as bad as it seems. It has been treated, and I’ll appreciate if you don’t tell Taekwoon,” said Ravi in low tone, as if he didn’t want others to find out about it.

“But that looks really bad, let me see it again,” said Hakyeon as he reached out again, but this time Ravi nudged his hand away while shaking his head slowly.

“I’ve checked it to the hospital. Nothing dangerous. And it doesn’t hurt as much as it looks,” said Ravi again.

“When did this happen?” asked Hakyeon. “You know, lately Woonie stopped complaining about you getting random bruises catching those stalkers, so I guessed either the stalkers stopped coming or you got better at avoiding their blows.”

“Yeah, actually I got better at avoiding, since I don’t want to make Taekwoon worry. Thankfully when I failed, it’s somewhere hidden,” replied Ravi, half-jokingly. Hakyeon quickly slapped his arm, regretting it a bit since it was hard as rock.

“If you don’t explain to me how you got that ugly bruise, I’ll tell Woonie,” threatened Hakyeon. Ravi laughed nervously, sweeping his hair back before taking a deep breath.

“Two days ago. She hit me with a tripod when I asked her to leave peacefully. Seems that she aimed for my head but she’s too short and has poor aim,” explained Ravi with a little bit laughter at the end. Hakyeon sighed and shook his head in disbelief.

“You really prioritize him more than anything, don’t you?” asked Hakyeon, sight also falling on Taekwoon who was still in full concentration in his shoot.

“In case you forgot, I’m paid to keep him safe and sound,” said Ravi in joking tone. Hakyeon slapped his arm again, shaking his head in disbelief.

“Anyway, I see that you do have chocolate abs. Apply to Hongbin soon after you healed that nasty bruise,” commented Hakyeon. Ravi laughed again, shaking his head still.

* * *

“Taekwoon? Taekwoon, wake up. You have catwalk rehearsal at 9 this morning, and it’s almost 8 now. You have to get ready,” called Ravi as he shook Taekwoon’s shoulder. Taekwoon only groaned, rolling his shoulder to get Ravi’s hand off him. His schedule had been jam-packed lately, and he really wanted to have a little bit more personal time with his bed. But Ravi wasn’t taking any of his spoiled behavior, and pulled the blanket away.

“You really have to wake up, or it’ll ruin your career,” said Ravi sternly as he pulled Taekwoon’s arms to make him sat up.

“Get off, Ravi,” slurred Taekwoon, although he was too sleepy and too weak to fight back. He pouted and glared at Ravi, but none of those worked against him.

“I will, if I know you can get up on your own,” teased Ravi. Taekwoon only groaned in irritation as Ravi pulled him closer, draping Taekwoon’s arms on his shoulders. One of Ravi’s arms circled Taekwoon’s back with a hand secured under the armpit, while the other went just under Taekwoon’s thighs. Taekwoon yelped when he felt how Ravi lifted him off the bed, instinctively grabbing Ravi’s shoulder and a fistful of hair.

“Put me down!” screeched Taekwoon, finally fully awake. Ravi only chuckled as he carried him to the bathroom, shuffling a bit to open the door, then slowly putting Taekwoon back on his own feet. Taekwoon was still trying to calm his thrumming heart, holding Ravi closely although he already stood on his own.

After a whole minute, Ravi cleared his throat loudly. “I think you can stand on your own already? Except if you want me to join the shower with you,” said Ravi, laughter rumbling on his chest. Taekwoon finally realized what he was doing and quickly backed away, cheeks flushing.

“I’ll be waiting outside. You have precisely 30 minutes to shower and get ready. We’ll have your breakfast on the go,” said Ravi as he stepped out from the bathroom.

Taekwoon stayed still until he could hear his bedroom’s door closing, before squatting down and exhaled loudly, covering his face with both hands.

“What was that, Jung Taekwoon…” he murmured to himself.

* * *

It was one of the days when Ravi dressed up nicely, since he was accompanying Taekwoon to the fashion show. Taekwoon himself was only dressed in a pair of sweatpants and jacket, since he would be changing into other clothes he modeled for anyway. It looked somewhat funny when Ravi opened the door for Taekwoon, unclear of who was the supermodel and who was the bodyguard.

Ravi was chatting around with the staffs as always, blending in with everyone. One of the newer stylist even thought that he’s one of the hired models and told him to quickly come for briefing, before Ravi explained that he’s there to assure Taekwoon’s safety.

Hakyeon was there as well, hired to work magic to the models. He gave Ravi a warm hug and joked to him that he felt safe knowing that there was a spare model ready. Ravi laughed with him, shaking his head violently while saying that he’s there only to watch.

“I’d appreciate if you help the security staffs to double check everything that goes in and out. Some people are nasty enough to sabotage their rivals in such huge event,” whispered Hakyeon in-between their light conversation. Ravi smiled and nodded.

“Bug bites on the neck and feet are the worst, aren’t they?” said Ravi. Hakyeon chuckled, already used to some implications and codes Ravi often use to conceal their serious talk.

“Definitely. The one on the neck is especially itchy,” commented Hakyeon back, gesturing at his nape with disgusted expression.

They continued to chat until Hakyeon had to go to the backstage to do his job. Ravi also went to the model area when it was almost lunch time, but not before going back to the car to take a lunch box he prepared earlier. Taekwoon already had a lunch box sitting on his dressing table, and Ravi switched it with the one he brought.

“Hey, that’s my lunch!” protested Taekwoon, but Ravi pulled the box further away.

“You’re still on diet, so this unregulated lunch box is mine. Yours is that one,” said Ravi as he pointed the homemade lunch box with his chin. Taekwoon pouted, but he opened that box anyway since he was starving.

“Stingy,” complained Taekwoon before he dug into his lunch with no reservation or whatsoever. Ravi smiled widely and patted his shoulder.

“I’ll be eating this with other staffs,” said Ravi as he stepped backwards. Taekwoon only nodded a little, too busy stuffing his face with food.

When Ravi was already outside, he observed the box and noticed that the sealing sticker was already gone. He opened it and sniffed, before throwing the whole box into the trash bag and pulled out his phone.

“Hello? Yeah, uh, I mistakenly purchased an unsealed cat food, and apparently it’s gone bad? No, I gave my kitten another stuff. No, ew, no, I only sniffed it. Yeah, I can recognize the storekeeper. He probably sold it to other people, but I’m not sure yet. Yeah, a refund sounds good. Also, be more careful of people you hire? Okay, thank you,” said Ravi quickly over the phone before he shoved it back inside his pocket.

He then went to the vending machine and took out a canned black coffee, cracking it open and walked around without taking a sip. At some point, he bumped onto another person, spilling his coffee all over that person’s clothes.

“Oh, I’m very sorry, Sir. Please let me clean it up for you. I’m so sorry,” said Ravi as he ushered the man to a room, then convinced him to stay there as he went again. The man ignored Ravi’s words and stood up as soon as Ravi closed the door, about to go away. But then some security staffs went in and interrogated him over the matter of drugged lunch boxes.

Outside, Ravi drank the rest of his canned coffee. When the man was dragged out from the room, Ravi threw him a cynical smile and waved slightly.

“Ra~vi~” called Ken, the head security, as he got out and circled an arm around Ravi’s shoulder. “Next time, can you be more straightforward on your reports? If I didn’t save your phone number in mine, I would probably cut the call the moment you said some shits like ‘cat food’,” whined Ken as he shook Ravi’s shoulder.

“You know I can’t risk having some of those hyenas sniff on the carcass?” retorted Ravi. Ken rolled his eyes, knowing that the hyenas Ravi talked about were the paparazzi and the carcass was just any negative scoop about the event.

“Yeah, yeah, sometimes I forgot that your safety procedure is tighter than anyone else,” said Ken. He pulled back his arm and patted on Ravi’s shoulder. “Go back to your dear kitten. Keep him safe from those hungry hyenas and vultures.”

Ravi chuckled, then said thanks to Ken before returning to the backstage.

* * *

Taekwoon had already changed into his suit for the afterparty. He really hated having to wear formal suit, so he’s glad that at the very least he’s allowed to wear a t-shirt instead of a dress shirt. He went for all black that night, wearing sophisticated jacquard suit jacket to balance out his plain black t-shirt. Hakyeon also had touched up his make up, so he still looked elegant that night.

However, he didn’t manage to find Ravi just yet. He had called earlier, only to have Hakyeon answering the phone, saying that he ‘borrowed’ Ravi a little. Ravi’s protest was heard somewhere in the background, but that’s all he could hear before the call was cut off. He tried to call again twice, but no answer. He guessed that Ravi had somewhat got roped in to do weird stuffs for Hakyeon.

After walking around a little, making sure to avoid as many people as he possible, he could hear people gasping and whispering at someone who just entered the hall. Taekwoon turned towards the entrance, thinking that it’s probably a famous model or designer entering. Apparently, it was Hakyeon and a designer, Lyn, who also seemed to half-dragging someone else with them. Taekwoon vaguely thought that the other person was probably Ravi, so he raised his hand and waved towards Hakyeon, who thankfully saw him. With big grin plastered on his face, he told Lyn and the other person to walk towards Taekwoon.

Both Hakyeon and Lyn had the same naughty grin on their faces, walking towards Taekwoon while trying to hide the person walking behind them, although it wasn’t really a big feat since he was covering his face with the hand that Hakyeon didn’t pull anyway. Only when they arrived right in front of Taekwoon did they stepped aside. Taekwoon recognized the red brocaded suit as Lyn’s design, since he modelled for it just then. It fitted nicely on Ravi’s body.

“Aw, come on, until when are you going to hide your face like that?” teased Lyn as she pulled away the hand that was covering Ravi’s face.

Taekwoon felt his breath hitched.

It was clear that Hakyeon decided to have some fun with Ravi’s face. His eyebrows were trimmed and filled, accentuating the shape. Some lip tint was also applied on his lips, making them looked alluring and kissable. But the key point of his makeup was the eye liner. It made his eyes looked much sharper, turning away his usual schoolboy-like aura and replaced it with sexy and sensual feel.

That, paired with the suit and everything else Ravi had to offer, was the definition of otherworldly beauty.

“Sorry, Leo, I just can’t help myself when I saw him wandering at the backstage. He looks so fine I want to put one of my designs on him. And Hakyeon helped,” apologized Lyn as she smiled sheepishly. All her words were only white noises to Taekwoon’s ears. His eyes were still glued at Ravi’s whole being.

“Look, Woonie is so shocked he can’t say anything,” teased Hakyeon, snapping Taekwoon back to reality. Ravi was obviously blushing and nervous.

“I’ve told you, it’s a bad Idea. I look weird,” said Ravi, earning a slap on his chest from Hakyeon.

“Who says so? You know what, you really look _ravishing_ ,” said Hakyeon, who immediately laughed at his own pun. Lyn laughed along with him, while Ravi rolled his eyes.

“Well, I guess we should return him to you. And, Ravi, you can keep that suit. Red looks amazing on you,” said Lyn as he patted Ravi’s shoulder. She then quickly grabbed Hakyeon and left, still giggling and whispering with Hakyeon as they left.

Awkward silence fell between them. Ravi played with the hem of his suit’s sleeve, looking down at his feet nervously.

“Well. I think I should hurry clean the make up and change my suit,” murmured Ravi. But before he even turned away, Taekwoon grabbed his arm, holding him in place firmly.

“You… You look good. Don’t go,” said Taekwoon. They exchanged gaze again, before Ravi’s fell to his arm that Taekwoon grabbed. Taekwoon immediately released it, feeling how his hand burned from the touch.

“You look really good too. I mean, well, of course, you’re a supermodel after all,” said Ravi, stumbling over his words and grinning nervously. He looked so beautiful and sweet Taekwoon wanted to kiss him right there right then.

Taekwoon mentally slapped himself for thinking about that.

“You know what. You’re right. Let’s change your suit. I’m also done in this party. I hate afterparty anyway,” said Taekwoon as he took Ravi’s hand and pulled him towards the entrance. Ravi was surprised at the change of mind, but he didn’t raise a question. He only followed Taekwoon’s lead, but halted just before they reached the lobby’s door.

“Can I have my hand back?” asked Ravi with a playful grin on his face. Taekwoon looked at him with blank expression, before slowly releasing his grip.

“Yeah,” he murmured, dropping his sight to the floor. “Right. I’m sorry.”

Taekwoon quickly turned, pushing the door open. Flashlights greeted him almost instantly, and he used an arm to shield his eyes from the blinding lights. He wasn’t surprised to see his car and manager were already waiting at the drop-off area, and he quickly entered. His manager followed after, and Taekwoon was expecting for Ravi to get into the front passenger seat. But no, they pulled away right after the manager closed his door, leaving Taekwoon confused.

“Why aren’t we waiting for Ravi?” he asked.

“Ravi called just now. He said that he had something to take care of, so he wants us to go back first,” explained the manager. Taekwoon couldn’t hide his disappointment, sinking into his seat as he stared blankly outside the window.

* * *

Taekwoon’s bedroom lamp was still on when Ravi reached home, already cleaning his make up and changing into sweatpants and T-shirt. He knocked softly on the door, but there was no answer. He took a few deep breaths before he slowly opened the door.

“Taekwoon, you still up?” he asked tentatively as he poked his head inside. There was a lump he assumed as Taekwoon on the bed, seemed to be sleeping, so Ravi turned the light off before closing the door again.

He sank to the couch outside Taekwoon’s room and turned on the TV. It showed his usual history channel, but by changing the feed, it turned to be split screen of the CCTV installed all over the house. For the time being, there was nothing unusual. He watched it closely anyway, while his ears were listening closely to Taekwoon’s bedroom.

A little past midnight, he heard soft footsteps in Taekwoon’s room, walking towards the door. He quickly reached the remote and changed it back to the history channel and dropped to the couch pretending to sleep, just in time for Taekwoon to emerge from his room. Ravi listened closely, still pretending.

Taekwoon walked towards the couch, stopping when he was right in front of Ravi. He felt a hand on his shoulder, shaking him slowly. “Ravi,” called Taekwoon softly. “Ravi, you awake?”

Ravi still pretended to sleep. He didn’t really want to make Taekwoon worry from knowing that he’s actually still up until that late at night, or the fact that he’s a light sleeper. Also maybe, if Taekwoon thought that Ravi was really sleeping, he would return to his room and went back to sleep as well.

He heard Taekwoon sighing, and the hand left his shoulder. Ravi had just thought that Taekwoon would probably return to his room when he felt the hand caressing his cheek instead. Before Ravi could even begin to question Taekwoon’s gesture, he felt something warm and soft and _breathing_ pressing against his lips. His eyes flew open immediately.

A soft gasp escaped Taekwoon’s lips when he broke away and saw Ravi staring back at him with wide eyes. He quickly scrambled back into his room without looking back or saying anything to Ravi, leaving him completely baffled and speechless.

_‘What was that…?’_

Ravi ran his fingers on his lips, trying to remember the sensation from earlier.

_‘Did Taekwoon just… kissed me?’_


	3. Chapter 3

There was a photoshoot scheduled in the afternoon and Taekwoon was really reluctant to leave the comfort of his bed. He was really tired from the fashion show. That, and the mental exhaustion after the impulsive act he did earlier.

He really didn’t know what pushed him to do it. For one thing, he blamed Lyn and Hakyeon for turning his goofy bodyguard into a walking and living sex appeal. To be fair, he did know that Ravi had nice body and proportion that could easily pass him as a model. But he didn’t know that with the right makeup and set of clothes, he could appear so damn sexy without even trying to be one.

He also wanted to blave Ravi for sleeping so soundly like that, looking all innocent and defenseless, with his small lips inviting to be kissed—

Taekwoon sank his face deeper into his pillow. He really wanted to scream. Just who the hell Ravi thought he was, waltzing into his life like that and messing his head so easily?

Just as Taekwoon was screaming internally at himself, he heard soft knocks on his door. He jolted a little, but then pretended to be still asleep. He’s currently not in mood to talk to anyone.

“Taekwoon?” called Ravi from outside the door. Taekwoon froze, squeezing his eyes shut as he willed his pounding heart to calm down a little.

He heard the bedroom door clicked open, and the smell of pancake with maple syrup and butter filled his room almost immediately. “Taekwoon, you up?” asked Ravi as he walked closer towards the bed. Taekwoon stubbornly pretended to be asleep with his back facing the door.

Ravi placed the tray of food on one of the nightstands before sitting at the edge of Taekwoon’s bed. The weight shift made Taekwoon inhaled deeply, a bad move since he could feel his stomach starting to protest.

“I know that you don’t have any morning schedule, but it’s not good to skip breakfast. Please wake up and eat, even just a little,” cooed Ravi. But Taekwoon still didn’t move a finger, so Ravi stood up and walked away in defeat.

After Taekwoon was sure that Ravi had left the room, he rolled away and sat up. His stomach was growling, and he quickly wiped the plates clean.

He only got out when it was almost time for lunch, bringing the empty tray out to be returned to the kitchen. Ravi was nowhere to be seen outside his room, but apparently it was because he was hanging around in the kitchen, helping the maids to peel off some potatoes. He gave Taekwoon the usual warm and blinding smile, while Taekwoon only nodded a little in reply.

As Taekwoon returned to his room for shower, he felt that he’s the worst human being on earth.

* * *

A week rolled away after the incident, and never once did Ravi mention it to Taekwoon. He pretended that it never happened, and Taekwoon thought that Ravi really didn’t realize it. Taekwoon felt oddly relieved because of that.

It didn’t stop him from blushing furiously every time Ravi touched him, accidentally or not. Whether it’s just their fingers brushing when Ravi handed out his coffee, or when Ravi carried him for almost the whole day after Taekwoon sprained his ankle in one of his photoshoots, every touch sent sparks to his spine and all over his body.

Talking to Hakyeon about it didn’t help at all. “Woonie, you obviously have a crush on him,” said Hakyeon with twinkling eyes. Taekwoon already regretted spilling the beans to him.

“I’m not! He’s just—” _Hot. Incredibly hot._ There’s a gap on his innocent side and cool side that made Taekwoon wanted to scream. And he didn’t understand about personal space behind the closed doors, holding and carrying him like there’s no big deal—

“Yeah, definitely a crush,” commented Hakyeon as he clicked his fingers at Taekwoon’s nose, pulling him back from his trance.

“No, it’s not,” insisted Taekwoon. Hakyeon only smirked in reply, not really wanting to argue any further since he’s done doing the makeup anyway.

Both of them moved to the photo studio, just in time to see Ravi lifting his shirt to show his abs to Hongbin before quickly pulled it down again while backing off with laughter. Hongbin freaked out about why wouldn’t Ravi let him took some pictures of it, demanding him to strip while laughing as well. Taekwoon was freezing at the door, eyes wide at what he just saw.

“If it’s not crush, then it’s either love or lust. Or both,” commented Hakyeon softly on Taekwoon’s ear. Taekwoon quickly turned and landed a neck chop on him, making Hakyeon laughed in delight.

* * *

It was one of the days when Taekwoon was really, really reluctant to get out of the bed. At first he thought it was just the lack of sleep, but he also felt that he’s uncomfortably hot and cold at the same time. He reached around for his phone, and then quickly pressed the emergency number. His bedroom’s door was open at the first dial tone, showing Ravi turning off the call as he stepped closer.

“Do you need something?” asked Ravi. Taekwoon only blinked once in reply, and Ravi sat down at the edge of his bed with worry drawn all over his face. He touched Taekwoon’s forehead, and Taekwoon sighed contently at how cold it felt. Meanwhile, Ravi definitely didn’t like how Taekwoon felt like burning under his touch.

“I’ll go to the kitchen to ask for some porridge and—”

“Stay,” slurred Taekwoon, weakly gripping Ravi’s hand. Ravi looked at him with stern gaze, but Taekwoon looked back with a pleading one. Sighing in defeat, Ravi unlocked his phone and punched some number.

“Hello? This is Ravi. No, of course I’m still at home. Yeah, sorry, I can’t exactly move right now so I have to call. No, not me. It’s Young Master. I don’t know yet, but he definitely has a fever. Oh, is that so? Okay. Sounds great, thanks. Um, can you please deliver it? No, yeah, I mean, I’m really in the position where I can’t move. No, but seriously I can’t move. Okay, thank you very much. Have a good day.” Ravi cut off his call with a sigh.

“Your breakfast and medicine will be delivered shortly. A doctor has been called too. I’ll inform your manager to cancel and reschedule your work,” said Ravi as he gently patted Taekwoon’s hand. Taekwoon only hummed in reply, blinking slowly to thank him. He was still holding Ravi’s hand loosely, not wanting to let go just yet. Ravi seemed to realize that, typing on his phone with one hand while letting Taekwoon to continue holding his other hand.

Ravi didn’t even break away when a maid came in with Taekwoon’s breakfast and medication for his fever. He helped Taekwoon to sit up, securing an arm around his back as Taekwoon leaned to his shoulder. The maid pulled the legs under the tray and propped it up in front of Ravi as instructed, then left the room. Very, very slowly, Ravi helped Taekwoon to eat his porridge. He coaxed him to take another scoop each time, until Taekwoon really refused it, snuggling his head deeper on the crook of Ravi’s neck. Taekwoon had only finished half of it, but Ravi thought that it’s good enough already. He also helped Taekwoon to drink his medicine, then carefully laid him back on the bed before taking the tray away to be cleaned.

“Don’t go,” whined Taekwoon as he reached out to Ravi. Ravi smiled and patted his hand gently.

“I’ll be right back,” he promised. Taekwoon pouted, watching Ravi until he disappeared behind the door, and kept on staring at the door until he drifted back to sleep.

* * *

He seemed somewhat better when the doctor arrived, although his temperature was still high and he was still sluggish. The doctor gave him a shot of vitamin and some medicines to be taken. Ravi listened closely to the doctor, thanking him and walked him to the gate before returning to Taekwoon’s room.

Seeing Taekwoon curling at the bed while glaring at the general direction of the door looked somewhat adorable. As he got closer, he noticed how Taekwoon seemed to be covered in sweat.

“Do you want me to call a maid or a butler to help you wash?” offered Ravi as he swiped away the bangs that was plastered to Taekwoon’s forehead. Taekwoon shook his head slowly. “Do you want me to wash you?” asked Ravi teasingly. Taekwoon hesitated for a while, before he slowly nodded. Ravi wasn’t expecting that at all. Still, he had offered, and Taekwoon allowed him to, so he’s not going to take back what he said.

After telling Taekwoon to wait a little, he prepared the stuffs needed, before returning to get Taekwoon. He lifted him with ease, noticing how he felt lighter than usual. Carefully, he stepped inside the bathroom and lowered Taekwoon into the empty bath tub. “Sorry,” he murmured before he stepped in as well, gently peeling away Taekwoon’s pajama, draping a small towel over Taekwoon’s hips before lifting it a little to pulled off the pants along with the boxer.

He took extra care washing Taekwoon’s body, letting him lean against the bathtub’s wall or to himself, not really caring that he was drenching wet because of it. After he was done with most parts, he poured some soap to Taekwoon’s hand. “I’m sure you can manage washing the rest, right?” said Ravi, glancing at the small towel. Taekwoon chuckled and nodded, and Ravi stood back up to close the curtain. Thinking that he should give Taekwoon more privacy, he went back to Taekwoon’s room, lining the leather couch with some towels since he planned to dry Taekwoon there. He also plugged a hair dryer and put it within reach, before returning to the bathroom door and waited.

When he heard Taekwoon calling from inside, he stepped back in, towel ready in hand. Taekwoon seemed to be half asleep already in the tub, head resting at the back of the tub while his eyes threatening to close anytime. Ravi chuckled and wrapped him in the big towel he brought, before carefully lifting him off the tub.

“You seem used to doing this,” commented Taekwoon softly as he leaned his head to Ravi’s shoulder.

“My previous employer lent me a Doberman during my employment, and bathing him is one of my tasks,” explained Ravi with a laugh. Taekwoon scoffed at the explanation.

“So bathing me is one of your tasks too?” asked Taekwoon half-mockingly.

“Probably not,” replied Ravi truthfully as he carefully lowered Taekwoon to the towel-lined couch. He draped another big towel over Taekwoon’s shoulders, before taking a small one and draped it on his head. He cupped Taekwoon’s face through the towel and gave him a warm smile. “But it is my responsibility to keep you safe and sound,” he added.

Unaware of Taekwoon’s furious blush, he helped Taekwoon dried himself and changed into something comfortable, and then carrying him back to the bed.

“Can you stay?” asked Taekwoon with hopeful eyes. Ravi grinned and patted his shoulder softly.

“Later. Let me change into something dry first, okay?” said Ravi. Taekwoon was pouting, but he couldn’t do anything to stop Ravi anyway.

When Ravi returned, Taekwoon was already asleep again. He couldn’t help but smile at just how peaceful Taekwoon looked, enjoying the view for some minutes before collecting all the used towels and dirty clothes and tossed them into the laundry bin.

* * *

During the three days Taekwoon was told to have some bed rest, Ravi’s sleeping quarter was moved from the couch outside Taekwoon’s room to the couch inside the room. And during those three days, too, Taekwoon became especially clingy towards Ravi. He would bother him for basically anything, and whined every time Ravi had to leave the room for something.

Taekwoon’s fever seemed to be the stubborn one too, and Ravi thought that it’s probably why Taekwoon acted so very spoiled for days. He didn’t have much to complain, though, since the childish behaviour was something Taekwoon rarely showed and it felt somewhat endearing.

On the fourth day, though, Taekwoon’s fever spiked up, and Ravi was really worried. He was given some medicines to lower his fever, as well as cooling patch. The doctor checked him again, and said that if the fever persisted on the following morning, he had to be hospitalized.

Ravi was practically glued to the side of Taekwoon’s bed afterwards, checking his temperature and changing the compress and wiping his sweat. Late at night, the fever was going down already, and Ravi was more than relieved.

“Ravi?” called Taekwoon softly as he cracked his eyes open. Ravi quickly held his hand reassuringly, giving him his best smile although he was already exhausted and sleep deprived.

“Anything I can do for you?” asked Ravi. Taekwoon nodded slowly, then patted the space between them with his free hand.

“Sleep by my side tonight,” demanded Taekwoon. Before Ravi could even reject it, he added sternly, “It’s an order.”

Ravi chuckled and nodded. “Okay,” he agreed, far too easily, just as always.

He slipped under the blanket and Taekwoon quickly scooted closer, leaning his head on Ravi’s firm chest, while Ravi draped an arm on Taekwoon’s waist. Taekwoon sighed contently, closing his eyes as he listened to Ravi’s steady heartbeat.

“Good night, Taekwoon. Sweet dreams,” murmured Ravi. Taekwoon hummed in reply, already drifting into slumber.

* * *

Ravi was still there when the morning light shone through the ventilation of Taekwoon’s room. Taekwoon could feel that his fever had completely gone, but he made no move to inform Ravi about it. He simply indulged in Ravi’s warmth around him.

And with his fever gone, a thought started to plague Taekwoon’s mind. He wondered whether Ravi followed his selfish demands because he truly cared about him, or simply because he was paid to care.

He felt Ravi stirring in his sleep, and he closed his eyes again, pretending to be still asleep. He heard Ravi yawned, his arm temporarily leaving Taekwoon’s waist as he stretched a little. Ravi placed a hand on Taekwoon’s forehead to check the temperature, exhaling in relief as he draped his arm back to Taekwoon’s waist.

“Oh thank heavens,” murmured Ravi as he planted a brief kiss on top of Taekwoon’s head, “You had me worried sick.”

Taekwoon could hear his heart in his ear, thrumming loudly from the words and the touch and the implications.

He didn’t dare to move, indulging in the moment when he knew that Ravi _genuinely_ cared.

* * *

Taekwoon got back to work after resting for a whole week. Ravi was also back to giving him minimal contact since Taekwoon didn’t demand it all the time anymore like when he was still severely ill. Taekwoon, too, realized that he should keep a distance. He needed time to figure out just what Wonshik meant to him before deciding what he wanted to do next.

For once, Taekwoon was grateful that his schedule was full. That way, he could concentrate more on his work and less on Ravi.

Still, sometimes work mishaps happened anyway. He had just gone out from the changing room when he heard Hongbin yelling on the phone. Hongbin was usually calm and composed, so him yelling like that only meant one thing—something or someone he needed for that shoot was running _very_ late.

“You know what? Don’t come at all. Good luck getting any offer at all in the future,” said Hongbin harshly before ending the call, running a hand along his scalp while sighing loudly.

Taekwoon was just about to ask what’s wrong, but Ravi already approached him first. “Hey, man, what’s wrong? Anything I can help?” he asked. Hongbin’s anger seemed to dissipate, replaced with a pleading look as he grabbed both of Ravi’s shoulders.

“Ravi. Ravi, can you _please_ help me this one time? I won’t ask anymore but please do me a favor just this once,” pleaded Hongbin. Ravi gave him a reassuring smile.

“Let me hear what you need first, okay? And you need to take a deep breath. Everything’s going to be okay,” replied Ravi. Hongbin took a deep breath as suggested, before staring right into Ravi’s eyes.

“I need you to model one of the suits today, since I lost a model,” said Hongbin firmly. Ravi’s smile faltered already, and Hongbin gripped harder on his arms. “ _Please?_ You will be paid with model fee, and you can bring home the suit you modelled for, as well as the copy of the magazine when it’s published,” offered Hongbin. Ravi laughed nervously as he shook his head.

“No, Hongbin, sorry. That one is out of my league,” rejected Ravi politely.

“Why? You have the body and proportion for it. I can help you direct the poses. And if you’re worried about your face, we have Hakyeon to take care of it. Ah, we can change your hair too if you’re too concerned about having your identity revealed or whatsoever,” coaxed Hongbin. Ravi was about to refuse again when Taekwoon decided to side with Hongbin.

“Sorry, I heard the whole thing. And I agree with Hongbin, you should do it,” said Taekwoon as he looked firmly at Ravi. Ravi pursed his lips, thinking just what he had to say to refuse Taekwoon.

“This…” Ravi swallowed hard, not exactly liking what he was about to say next. “This is not what your father hired me for, Taekwoon.” The words felt bitter in his tongue, but that’s the only thing he had left.

Taekwoon chuckled bitterly, feeling a pang of pain in his heart. But when he wanted something, he would surely get it. “Oh, I think father hired you to protect me, including my career?” retorted Taekwoon. “My career is also on stake in this photoshoot, Ravi, and I’m not joking about it. You are paid to protect me _and_ my career, so do your job properly.”

Taekwoon quickly left after saying those words, feeling like a villain. But Ravi played that card first, so Taekwoon thought that he’s not doing anything wrong.

Once again, his mind was plagued with whether Ravi genuinely cared about him or it was only because he’s paid to care.

* * *

There was really nothing Ravi could do after Taekwoon played that card. He explained to Hongbin and Hakyeon that he’s not allowed to show his face deliberately to public, and he couldn’t take risks. Hakyeon already told him that he’d talk to the hair stylist to color Ravi’s hair temporarily, and his makeup could really change how he usually looked. But Ravi needed more reassurance, and Hongbin said that he’d direct him for poses that partially covered his face. Ravi thanked them both before going with Hakyeon to get his hair and makeup done. Meanwhile, Hongbin proceeded to start the shoot with the other models.

While Ravi was having his hair done, Hakyeon applied some decal tattoos across Ravi’s chest and touched them up so that they’d look real enough on the camera. “People will be too busy trying to identify you from the tattoos if I make them look real enough,” explained Hakyeon. Ravi chuckled at that.

“I thought I will be wearing suits? Won’t it be covered then?” he asked. Hakyeon smirked as he applied some setting mist.

“Remember when Hongbin said he’s looking for chocolate abs? It’s because the suit has no shirt,” replied Hakyeon teasingly.

Hearing that, Ravi had already regretted everything.

* * *

Just like that after party night, Taekwoon felt his breath hitched as he saw Ravi entering the studio. His hair was flaming red, and Taekwoon had to admit that red really did suit Ravi very much. Hakyeon went as far as making Ravi wore grey contacts, making him somewhat looked like a foreigner. The eyeliner once again brought out the fierceness and beauty sleeping inside him. His gaze alone was enough to make Taekwoon ready to combust anytime, but Ravi just _had_ to wear that light blue suit without any shirt on, revealing his sculpted abs to the world.

“Do you like what you see?” whispered Hakyeon with a naughty grin. Taekwoon almost jumped in surprise, not realizing that Hakyeon had managed to stand beside him. He placed a hand on his chest, trying to steady his racing heart.

“You did work magic, Yeonnie,” complimented Taekwoon. Hakyeon grinned smugly, watching how Hongbin directed Ravi to pose.

Ravi’s request to make his face partially hidden had forced him to fully reveal his abs in return. If the shoot was intended to be sexy, Ravi made it impossibly sexier. He was good at following instructions and holding his pose, although he still depended heavily on Hongbin’s directions rather than posing on his own.

The shoot was longer than expected, but at least it left Hongbin grinning widely in satisfaction. Hongbin pulled Ravi aside to show him the result of his shoot, as well as discussing about the payment. Ravi refused the offer to wash his hair and removed the temporary tattoo at the studio, saying that they should be going home already. He only got his makeup removed and changed his clothes back.

During the ride back home, Taekwoon kept on stealing glances to the front passenger seat. The more he looked, the more his stomach twisted uncomfortably.

* * *

Taekwoon had just had his shower when he heard soft knock on his bedroom door. “Taekwoon? May I ask you a favor?” asked Ravi from behind the door. Taekwoon told him to come in, and Ravi entered with a sheepish smile on his lips. The red temporary coloring had been washed out, but not completely, leaving his hair in deep maroon color. That, too, looked good on him.

“I wonder if I can use some of your makeup remover? The tattoo just won’t come off with soap,” asked Ravi.

“Yeah, sure. Wait here,” replied Taekwoon as he pointed to the couch and went into the bathroom to fetch several products. He wasn’t really sure which one was effective enough, so he brought all five bottles, along with a pack of cotton pad. He returned to his room, and Ravi stood up immediately.

“Sit down, I’ll clean it up for you,” said Taekwoon. Ravi was about to protest when Taekwoon added, “I’ve let you bathed me, so at the very least, let me clean your tattoo.”

Ravi bit his lips and sighed, but he complied anyway. He pulled off his shirt and Taekwoon had to take a deep breath to steady his heart.

Taekwoon took a seat beside Ravi, dropping the bottles and pack of cotton pad on the space between them. “I don’t know which one will be effective enough, so please bear with me,” said Taekwoon as he took one of the bottles and poured the content to the cotton pad. He was satisfied to see the tattoo disappeared as soon as he swiped the cotton against the skin.

Silence fell between them as Taekwoon meticulously cleaned Ravi’s chest. It didn’t feel as awkward as they first thought. The silence was comforting in its own way. When he’s done, Taekwoon regretted that he didn’t go a bit slower.

“All done,” announced Taekwoon as he gathered the dirty cotton pads. Ravi nodded and put his shirt back on, unaware of Taekwoon’s lingering sight on him.

“Thank you so much for your help, Taekwoon,” said Ravi with a big grin. Taekwoon nodded in reply, not really trusting his voice to talk. “Is there anything I can do for you in return?” asked Ravi.

Taekwoon bit his lips, contemplating. But in the end, he only said, “You’ve done enough things for me.”

Ravi smiled widely, making Taekwoon’s stomach churned, and patted Taekwoon’s shoulder gently. “Again, thank you for your help, Taekwoon. Good night. Sweet dreams,” said Ravi as he stood up.

But before Ravi left the room, Taekwoon called him, making him looked back again. “Can you tell me your name? I mean, obviously ‘Ravi’ is not your real name, right?” asked Taekwoon. Ravi chuckled, shaking his head and smiled apologetically to Taekwoon.

“Yeah, ‘Ravi’ is the name assigned to me for this job. But I also can’t tell you my real name. Security reasons,” replied Ravi. Taekwoon looked disappointed, throwing his sight down and mumbled a low ‘oh’. Ravi felt somewhat guilty, but he’s not going to break more rules anytime soon.

“I’ll be outside if you need anything,” said Ravi before exiting the room.

Taekwoon exhaled, dropping the used cotton pads into the trash bin, before taking the makeup removers back to the bathroom. As he arranged the products back on the sink counter, he stared at his reflection in the mirror.

“Stop hoping for too much. He only cares because he’s paid to,” he whispered to himself.


	4. Chapter 4

It was one of the days when Ravi actually took the day off he was offered. Whenever Taekwoon was having some days off, Ravi was allowed to take some rest from his job too, but usually he didn’t take it since he knew that Taekwoon would probably want to go somewhere and Ravi felt the obligation to follow and protect him. But after some incidents that happened between him and Taekwoon, Ravi felt that he just had to talk to someone about it.

His first choice was Ken, a security-for-hire from the same company as his. Fortunately for Ravi, Ken was currently free, so he agreed to meet him for some coffee. As usual, Ken was hungry for any kind of gossip, eagerly asking Ravi about his job guarding a supermodel.

“I’m just… so very conflicted about it, _Hyung_. At one side, I do have to care about him since he’s my client after all. But at the other side, I… well… I want to protect him. As in, even if I’m not paid for it, I want to protect him with all I have,” explained Ravi. Ken laughed loudly.

“Let me spell it out for you. L-O-V-E. Love. You fucking fall in love with your client,” said Ken as he slapped Ravi’s shoulder. Ravi groaned and buried his face behind his hands.

“Is it bad? Will I get penalty for that?” asked Ravi. Ken whistled at it.

“You don’t even deny it. Holy shit. So you really fall in love, Ravi? With your client? Seriously?” replied Ken, not even bothering to answer Ravi’s question.

“To be fair, he is beautifully handsome. And he has his cute sides as well. I really can’t deny how I feel about him,” said Ravi, face already red like a boiled octopus. He gave out a long sigh and stared down at his coffee. “I really, really, _really_ want to kiss him.”

“And have you?” asked Ken curiously, sipping his coffee with raised eyebrows. Ravi bit his lips, the memory from that night resurfaced in his mind—the soft lips, the surprised gasp, and the beautiful face staring at him with wide eyes.

“He kissed me. On the lips. Once. When he thought I was sleeping,” admitted Ravi. Ken almost choked.

“No shit… So, does that mean he likes you back? Wow, Ravi, you lucky bastard,” commented Ken with awe. Ravi chuckled bitterly.

“But he’s my client, _Hyung_. Is that even allowed? Will I get any penalty? Or even fired?” whined Ravi. Ken chuckled and patted his head softly like a little kid.

“As long as you don’t do weird things in public, blatantly breaking the rules, or having your employer complaining to our company, you should be safe,” said Ken reassuringly.

Ravi didn’t feel reassured at all.

* * *

Attending parties was one of the things Taekwoon really hated, but he rarely could avoid. He understood that he still had to make connections with people for his career’s sake. So no matter how much he despised having to wear the suffocating suits and faking smiles to people talking to him, he still had to face it as a professional.

He was thankful that at least his manager and Ravi went with him. Most of the business agreements were handled by his manager, while Ravi was watching over him from nearby.

His sight and mind fell back to Ravi. That bodyguard just had to wear that golden-rimmed glasses and slicked back his black hair, giving off cool and sophisticated aura. He was wearing black suit with deep red shirt that fitted nicely to his body. Taekwoon wondered if Ravi knew just how good he looked in red.

Trying to shake any dirty thoughts he had in mind, Taekwoon decided to drink some more, all while slipping closer and closer to the wall. He was already more than tipsy when he leaned to the wall, nursing a glass of whiskey in hand. Someone approached him, talking to him, although everything sounded like murmur to his alcohol-induced brain.

That person slipped a hand to Taekwoon’s waist and Taekwoon flinched, wanting to back away from the unwanted touch, but he was trapped between the wall and that stranger. He was ready to throw a punch when he felt the hand slid lower, but he heard a voice calling him “Leo” and dragged him away from the stranger.

“Sorry,” Taekwoon heard the husky voice whispered. Although his mind wasn’t exactly clear, he could recognize Ravi’s voice just anywhere anytime. “I looked away for a second and you’re already… I’m sorry.”

Ravi took the whiskey from Taekwoon’s hand and gave it to the waitress to be put away, and Taekwoon whined. “You’ve drank too much. Let’s get you home,” whispered Ravi, his arm secured on Taekwoon’s waist to keep him standing. His touch felt like burning fire, and Taekwoon shoved him away while shaking his head.

“I can stand on my own,” murmured Taekwoon. Ravi sighed and released his grip, only to have Taekwoon swaying and almost falling if Ravi didn’t quickly catch him.

“Just lean on me. I’ll take you out through the back door,” whispered Ravi as he carefully supported Taekwoon’s waist again. Taekwoon grunted in protest, but he could only follow Ravi’s lead.

He vaguely heard Ravi calling his manager and driver to pick them up from the staff-only door. He also heard Ravi speaking to someone, who then opened the door for them. Ravi immediately lifted him once they were out of the public eyes, power walking through the staff area and exited from the back door. The manager was already waiting with their car, and Ravi instructed the manager to sit at the front seat while he helped Taekwoon to get into the passenger seat and sit beside him.

The ride home felt like a blur. All Taekwoon knew was suddenly he was carried out from the car to his own room. He snuggled to the fluffy pillow as Ravi took off his shoes and socks, putting them aside.

“Let’s take off your jacket, at the very least,” said Ravi as he moved around, sitting at the edge of the bed and reached out to take off Taekwoon’s suit jacket. Taekwoon swatted his hand with annoyed look on his face.

“If you want to undress me, you undress first,” he slurred. Ravi sighed tiredly, but he shrugged off his own jacket anyway, tossing it aside before climbing to the bed to help Taekwoon took off his. Taekwoon chuckled as Ravi eased down the piece of clothing, then slung his arms around Ravi’s neck once they’re free.

“Naughty,” giggled Taekwoon as he snuggled closer, biting hard at Ravi’s neck and licked it immediately after. Ravi let out a long exhale, prying Taekwoon’s arms off and pushed him down to the bed. Taekwoon bit his lower lip and grinned widely, half-lidded eyes stared at Ravi expectantly.

But Ravi immediately stood up and stepped away, collecting Taekwoon’s suit jacket and his own from the floor. “Good night,” he said before he turned away and quickly walked towards the door. Taekwoon was dazed from the sudden behavior, but he quickly pushed himself up, scrambling to stop Ravi from leaving.

“Ravi, wait—”

The door was closed before Taekwoon could even stand. He tried to, but his head was spinning and he fell to the floor with loud thumping sound.

“Ravi—!!” he yelled, but Ravi didn’t return to the room.

He felt his heart ached at the silence, at his own foolishness. He curled into fetal position, sobbing hard until his consciousness drifted away.

* * *

Taekwoon could feel his head throbbing painfully as he opened his eyes. He stretched a little on his bed, trying to remember just what made him felt like he had just hit by a truck. He remembered going to a party, drinking countless glasses of alcohol, and—

Ravi’s rejection and pained look came vividly in his memory.

Before he could even stop himself, he already bursted out crying again. He rolled to his side, curling and sobbing into his pillow. It’s over. Ravi definitely hated him for what he did. He wouldn’t be surprised if Ravi wouldn’t show up in front of him anymore.

The click of his door startled him, stopping him from crying almost instantly. He heard footsteps coming closer, and he was glad that he had his back facing the door. He really didn’t want to talk to anyone just yet. His heart was still in shambles and he’s not ready to have it broken even further.

Whoever entered his room didn’t try to wake Taekwoon or anything. Taekwoon could faintly smell the scent of porridge, and he heard something was carefully placed on his nightstand. Then, the edge of his bed sank as the person sat there. Taekwoon felt his heart thrumming faster, and almost stopped altogether when he felt a hand carded through his hair gently.

Although he couldn’t see it, but Taekwoon knew that touch, that familiar burning sensation. He bit his lips as he tried hard not to cry again, fully knowing that Ravi was there behind him.

Ravi rubbed his scalp softly, before his fingers brushed down to his nape, and then left him completely.

When Taekwoon heard Ravi leaving the room, he sobbed again.

* * *

That night was probably the hardest one so far, even worse than when Taekwoon was having a fever. Ravi hadn’t slept at all, wide awake with both guilt and worry. He left Taekwoon alone in his room after the bite, knowing that it wouldn’t end well if he lingered any longer. Taekwoon might think that Ravi didn’t hear him calling out his name, sobbing loudly until he passed out, but he heard everything. Ravi had returned afterwards, gently taking off his tie and belt so that Taekwoon would be at least a bit more comfortable. He carried Taekwoon back to his bed, wiping his tears away before he returned outside.

Ravi rushed back a few hours later, when Taekwoon woke up just to puke all over himself and all over his bed. Ravi hurriedly carried him to the bathroom, supporting him as he emptied his stomach into the toilet bowl. He helped him to drink some water, finding some medicine to help him with the nausea. Taekwoon was sobbing again as Ravi undressed him, wiping his face, neck, and chest with damp towel and some soap. Taekwoon was calling his name as he sobbed, and Ravi felt his heart tightened.

He realized that his shirt was also soiled, so he took it off and wiped himself clean first before carrying Taekwoon back to the bedroom. He laid him on the couch and putting on fresh pajama to him. Ravi covered him with a new blanket before moving to the bed to change the sheet. He was glad that nothing seeped to the bedding itself.

After gathering and putting them at the laundry, Ravi returned with fresh shirt on, new set of bed sheet, and some odor remover. He sprayed the odor remover to the bed and the floor around it, before covering the bed with new sheet, and carried Taekwoon back to the bed. Taekwoon was crying again, and Ravi stayed by his side, wiping away his tears, until the sniffle turned into soft snore.

He didn’t return to the couch outside the room immediately, staying at the couch inside and listened closely to Taekwoon. When he heard the sobbing again, he moved to sit at the bed, caressing Taekwoon’s hair until he calmed down. He stayed until the sun peeked out from behind the curtain, going to the kitchen to ask for some porridge for Taekwoon.

“Have you slept at all?” one of the maids asked him. Ravi only smiled widely, lying that he had some naps so he’s fine. While waiting for the porridge to be ready, Ravi had some breakfast for himself, accompanied with a cup of strong coffee. He was planning to stay wide awake until the sun set again.

The maid handed him a tray to be brought to Taekwoon’s room. He thanked her and went back, skillfully opening the bedroom door with his elbow. He saw Taekwoon’s back facing the door, and he thought that Taekwoon was probably stirring in his sleep again. Without making too much noise, he stepped closer, placing the tray on the nightstand. He then sat at the bed, carding his fingers through Taekwoon’s soft hair. He didn’t linger too long, not wanting to disturb Taekwoon.

As he closed the bedroom door behind him, he heard Taekwoon sobbing again.

Ravi really felt like the worst human being on earth.

* * *

Taekwoon wasn’t touching his breakfast when Ravi returned with his lunch. Sighing, he carefully replaced the tray and brought the first one to the kitchen. The maid offered him some lunch, but he opted to eat the porridge Taekwoon didn’t touch, not wanting to waste food.

“You really like our Young Master, huh?” commented the maid offhandedly. Ravi almost choked.

“I’m just doing my job,” replied Ravi after he drank and cleared his throat. The maid shrugged.

“You can always ask me or the others to, say, clean up whatever mess he made, or deliver the food to his room. But you did everything on your own. If that doesn’t say that you like Young Master, I don’t know what is,” she commented. Ravi licked his lips, thinking just how he had to respond. He really didn’t want to start a gossip, but apparently it had started anyway.

“Again, I’m just doing my job. And I don’t feel burdened by it,” replied Ravi. The maid only gave him a knowing smirk, and Ravi decided not to say anything anymore.

He finally decided to have cold shower to help him stay up, all while thinking what he should do if Taekwoon continued to sulk. Should he confess? Or should he just ask to end his current contract? The first one didn’t sound professional at all. Dating a client would lower his integrity for sure. But the second option would surely hurt Taekwoon. Ravi thought that it would hurt himself as well, but it mattered less. Still, if he quitted, Taekwoon might give up and move on from him. It sounded much more tempting.

Around 3 PM, Ravi checked on Taekwoon’s condition again. He still hadn’t touched his food, curling on the bed with his back facing the door. Ravi took away the tray, eating the untouched lunch in the kitchen, before asking the maid to make warm milk with honey for Taekwoon. He returned to Taekwoon’s room, placing the large mug on the nightstand, and waited outside again.

When it was time for dinner, Ravi asked the maid to make warm tea and some bite-sized snacks instead of a full dinner. He knew Taekwoon’s bad habit of snacking, and thought that it’s better for him to eat snacks rather than not eating at all. He brought the tray to Taekwoon’s room, satisfied when he saw that the milk was completely gone.

As he brought the mug back to the kitchen, he was told that Taekwoon’s father called him to his study. He already braced himself for whatever scolding or penalty he’d receive.

“I got a report that my son was terribly drunk last night, and today he’s sulking to the point he refused to eat. Care to explain?” asked the old man with stern expression.

“It’s my fault,” Ravi admitted immediately. “I took my eyes off from him, and as the result, he got drunk.”

“And his sulking?” he asked, demanding explanation. “It’s not the first time Taekwoon sulked, but this time it got to the point where he refused to _eat_. That kid eats all the time, so I know the problem is serious.”

Ravi felt his heart instantly froze. He knew the reason. He understood that it’s completely his fault. But he didn’t want to cause any trouble to Taekwoon, so he simply lied, “Unfortunately, I don’t know the cause, Sir. But I am ready to take responsibility for it.”

Taekwoon’s father exhaled loudly. “Pack your things. I’ll have you replaced with someone else tomorrow,” he said. Ravi nodded, not even trying to defend himself of anything.

“Yes, Sir. Thank you for the opportunity to work for you,” replied Ravi. He excused himself, giving out a long exhale before going back to his room.

He opened his suitcase and lined his clothes inside, already packed in case he had to suddenly depart someplace. His hand froze at the two designer suits gifted to him. After some thoughts, he decided to leave them in the closet. The next person employed could use them if they wanted.

After zipping the suitcase, he walked back to Taekwoon’s room. He smiled in relief when he saw the empty plates and mug. Taekwoon was still curling on his bed, and Ravi sat at the edge again, gently caressing the soft hair. It was probably the last time he could do that, so he lingered a little bit longer.

“It’s Wonshik,” Ravi whispered. He didn’t know what made him said it, revealing his real name just like that. Probably because he knew that it was his last day anyway. “At least I owe you that,” he added as he pulled his hand back.

He stood up and took the empty tray with him. But before he got to the door, he heard the bed rustling and he instinctively turned. Taekwoon was awake, looking at him with damp eyes. Ravi smiled gently at him. “I’ll be right back,” he promised.

He quickly went back after returning the tray to the kitchen, and Taekwoon was sitting cross-legged on his bed, cheeks damp and eyes puffy red. Ravi was hesitant to come closer, but Taekwoon patted the space beside him, so Ravi stepped closer. He sat at the edge of the bed right next to Taekwoon, feeling his gut wrenching at how miserable Taekwoon looked.

“I’m sorry.” Taekwoon’s usual soft voice had gone croaked and husky from all the crying.

“Why are you apologizing? You did nothing wrong,” said Ravi as he reached out to wipe the tears from Taekwoon’s cheeks with his thumb. Taekwoon grabbed his hand, holding it in place as he cried harder.

“I’m so sorry, I just—”

“Shush, it’s okay, don’t cry.” Ravi cut Taekwoon’s words and pulled him close, cradling Taekwoon in his chest as Taekwoon cried his heart out. He gently rubbed Taekwoon’s back in calming motion, stroking his hair and placing soft kisses on top of his head.

When Taekwoon finally calmed down, he nudged Ravi away. Ravi released him, although he was still holding Taekwoon’s trembling hand.

“Can I call you Wonshik…?” asked Taekwoon tentatively. Ravi chuckled and clasped his hand on Taekwoon’s.

“When there’s only the two of us, yes,” replied Ravi with a smile. Taekwoon was smiling too, a blush spreading across his cheeks.

“Wonshik, do you hate me?” asked Taekwoon. Ravi sighed, and his hands moved to cup Taekwoon’s cheeks.

“I don’t hate you. I can never bring myself to hate you, Taekwoon,” replied Ravi. He could see relief spreading through Taekwoon’s features, releasing the tense he was having.

“So, you’re not going to leave me, right?” asked Taekwoon expectantly. Ravi’s smile faltered, along with his gaze. Taekwoon saw that and the light left his eyes again.

“But you said you don’t hate me!” protested Taekwoon.

“I’m not the one making the decision,” replied Ravi as he slowly returned his gaze to Taekwoon. Taekwoon froze for a second before he realized the implication of Ravi’s words.

“Father…” whispered Taekwoon.

“He wants the best for you, and I’m sure he knows what he’s doing,” said Ravi.

But Taekwoon wasn’t having any of that. He quickly stepped off from his bed, running towards his father’s study with Ravi following him from behind, trying to stop him but also not wanting to hurt him in the process.

“ _FATHER!!_ ” Taekwoon yelled as he slammed the door open, panting. Ravi arrived just a second later, but he didn’t dare to enter. He only watched from outside, how Taekwoon stomped to his father’s desk and slammed both hands on it.

“Are you dismissing Ravi without _my_ consent?!” asked Taekwoon with rising tone. His father looked up at him with stern look, unswayed with Taekwoon’s rage.

“He admitted that he was neglecting his responsibility to watch over you, letting you got drunk and sulked to the point you refused eating. He said that he’s taking full responsibility for it, and therefore I decided to dismiss him,” explained his father.

“So now you’ll start punishing him for the mistakes I did to myself?” asked Taekwoon. “Me getting drunk and sulking like little kid is my own fault. I’ll take responsibility for that. Don’t you dare dismissing _my_ bodyguard without _my_ consent.”

“Ravi,” called Taekwoon’s father, looking out to him. He gestured Ravi to get in, and Ravi entered hesitantly. He felt really awkward standing there.

“Let me ask you, Ravi. Do you want to stay or do you want to go?” asked Taekwoon’s father. Ravi didn’t answer immediately. He was confused with the sudden turn of events.

“I—” He looked at Taekwoon, who looked back at him with a mixture of desperation and pleading. “I want to stay, if that’s allowed,” he said firmly.

Taekwoon’s father was looking at him closely, before turning to look at Taekwoon. “There you go. You can have your bodyguard back.”

Taekwoon slammed to Ravi, holding him tight, not even minding that he was in front of his own father. The old man only rolled his eyes and waved his hand, gesturing Ravi to bring Taekwoon out. Ravi thanked him, then led Taekwoon out.

“You can’t just hold me like that in front of your father,” said Ravi, although he was patting Taekwoon’s head anyway. Taekwoon only hummed and snuggled closer to Ravi, not wanting to let him go.

“Hey, how about a dinner? You haven’t eaten properly just yet,” offered Ravi. Taekwoon nodded, then pulled away from Ravi.

“I’m starving,” he admitted. Ravi ruffled Taekwoon’s hair, then tidied it back with his fingers.

“Let’s eat, then,” said Ravi, holding Taekwoon’s hand and walked with him to the dining room.


	5. Chapter 5

Hakyeon noticed how Taekwoon seemed to be somewhat brighter, smiling with twinkling eyes every time he was talking to Ravi. Ravi’s gaze, too, seemed to be more affectionate as he was watching over Taekwoon’s shoot.

“Are you two officially dating already?” asked Hakyeon as he joined Ravi. Ravi seemed to be caught off-guard, scratching the back of his neck and fiddling with his jacket.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” said Ravi nervously. Hakyeon leaned closer, resting his arm on Ravi’s shoulder.

“I know that Taekwoon likes you so very much. And don’t you dare to deny that you feel the same towards him. Nothing escaped my observation,” said Hakyeon with dangerously low tone.

“I’ll tell you the truth and only truth; we’re not dating. I’m still just a bodyguard and he’s still my employer. That’s it. Even if we have some… mutual feelings… That doesn’t mean that we’re crossing any line,” replied Ravi with the same low tone.

“Really? So nothing happened? No cuddling? Kissing?” Hakyeon gasped and added with softer voice, “ _Sex?_ ”

“ _Hakyeon!_ ” Ravi hissed and slapped Hakyeon’s arm off his shoulder. Hakyeon covered his mouth to muffle his laughter.

“So you _did_ cross the line!” exclaimed Hakyeon softly.

“No, I—we—” Ravi sighed tiredly. “Okay, I admit, we did cuddle every now and then. Taekwoon’s a total cuddler. I can’t say no. And we kissed. Once. Just once. But I swear on my life, on heaven and earth, that we never have sex. Not at all.”

Hakyeon let out a muffled laughter again at how Ravi’s face went deep red. He bet that Taekwoon would blush twice as red if Hakyeon asked the same thing to him. “Well, I’ll just let you know that I totally support you guys. And having sex is totally okay. Just don’t forget to use protection,” said Hakyeon again with tender smile.

“ _Hakyeon!!_ ” Ravi hissed again, face went impossibly red.

This time, Hakyeon didn’t even try to muffle his laugh.

* * *

Taekwoon drank his coffee slowly and indulged in the sight of the man sitting across him. Under Taekwoon’s request, Ravi wore that attractive gold-rimmed glasses again. He let his hair down this time, looking more casual with grey T-shirt and black jacket. As much as Taekwoon felt bad about it, he was glad that his manager called in sick for that day, so he could take his break just with Ravi like that.

Ravi was checking his watch to make sure that they still had enough time, and Taekwoon remembered about the first time he went to a coffee shop with Ravi.

“Do you remember the first time we got coffee together? When you ran back to the photo studio to take your jacket?” asked Taekwoon. Ravi frowned, trying to remember what moment Taekwoon meant, before his expression melted into a realization and then a sheepish grin.

“That… Actually, I’m surprised you bought that lie, because I had my jacket on when I walked with you. I suppose at that time you don’t like me that much to notice it,” said Ravi with a laugh. Realization fell on Taekwoon, and he looked at Ravi with surprised expression before hitting him.

“You don’t have to say it that way! I feel horrible now! And you’ve been lying to me since day one!” protested Taekwoon. Ravi was still laughing, making Taekwoon felt even more embarrassed.

“To be fair, I do tell your manager that I saw someone suspicious following us, so I told him to wait at the cafe with you while I took care of that person, but not to tell you about it. Then he asked me, ‘What should I tell him then?’ and I told him to just say whatever. I didn’t know he’s going to say that I was going back to fetch my jacket. I panicked a bit when I got back and he asked ‘got your jacket?’. We both panicked since our acting was so bad, but you actually bought it, I’m still awed until now,” explained Ravi. Taekwoon picked his cup of coffee and took a long sip to hide his face. He was beyond embarrassed already.

“So the coffee stain, your broken watch…?” asked Taekwoon. Ravi giggled and covered half of his face with his hand.

“How could you notice the coffee stain but not my jacket?” commented Ravi.

“Just answer my question!” replied Taekwoon, trying to escape from the embarrassment.

“Yeah, well, I got into fight. She splashed hot coffee on me, then trying to hit me with umbrella. The coffee did burn my hand and side, but the umbrella only cracked my watch,” explained Ravi.

“So the iced coffee you didn’t drink…?” asked Taekwoon again.

“You noticed that as well!” laughed Ravi. Taekwoon was glaring at him, so he explained, “Yeah, it’s to reduce the burn. But later in the studio, I got proper treatment. That’s the actual reason of me changing my shirt and having my hand bandaged. I didn’t sprain my wrist at all.”

Taekwoon reached out and caressed the back of Ravi’s hand, and Ravi flipped it so that he could clasp Taekwoon’s hand. “I guess we did not start off in good terms, but I’m glad you let me stay,” said Ravi, smiling gently at Taekwoon.

“No, _I’m_ glad you decided to stay. I’ve been so selfish and demanding, but you stayed anyway,” replied Taekwoon as he looked straight into Ravi’s eyes. Ravi really wanted to caress those soft cheeks, and kissed those pink lips, but he only sighed and grasped Taekwoon’s hand harder.

“I really want to kiss you right now,” whispered Taekwoon with a blush, voice so low it almost escaped Ravi’s ears.

Ravi looked around before he leaned closer and whispered, “Later, when we’re alone.”

The promise made Taekwoon glowed for the rest of his day.

* * *

One thing Taekwoon loved about birthday was that people tend to give him newest fashion items, so he didn’t have to go through all the hassle to buy them himself. He even got the coat he had been eyeing for a whole month from his second sister, and he gave her a warm hug for that.

He kept the birthday party private, taking a day off and celebrated it with his family. He had planned to go with Hakyeon on the weekend, and he’s already more than content with that.

Taekwoon dragged Ravi to his room after dinner, asking him to help opening the presents and gave him opinions about them.

“You surely are loved, looking from all these gifts,” commented Ravi as he carefully folded a scarf Taekwoon had just tried on.

“If there’s anything you want among these, you can have it,” offered Taekwoon, opening a smaller box with long silver earring inside. Taekwoon turned to the mirror to try it on, then looked at Ravi with wide smile. “How do you think?”

“Looks nice. A fresh change from your usual stud earrings,” commented Ravi. Taekwoon turned back to the mirror and shook his head a little so that the earring would sway, giggling like a kid.

Taekwoon picked up a bag, opening it to reveal a black leather jacket. He draped it on his shoulder, then walked to Ravi and draped it on him instead. “Mm, looks much better on you,” commented Taekwoon. Ravi chuckled and pulled it off from his shoulders, draping it back on Taekwoon.

“If I want a leather jacket, I can buy one myself. This one is given to you. It’s impolite to give away a present from someone,” said Ravi. Taekwoon pouted, shrugging the jacket off and put it away.

“Fine. I’ll buy you the exact same one, so you’ll have to keep it and we can wear it as couple fashion,” said Taekwoon. Ravi chuckled and cupped Taekwoon’s face, placing a brief kiss on his forehead, intending to make Taekwoon smile again. But instead, it made Taekwoon pouted even further.

“Don’t be half-assed like that. Kiss me on the lips,” demanded Taekwoon. Ravi pinched his cheeks instead, earning an annoyed shout from Taekwoon.

“Don’t be too cheeky. Let’s tidy up all these stuffs first, then I’ll consider about indulging your requests,” said Ravi as he moved to pick up the empty bag and put it on the pile with other empty bags. Taekwoon rubbed his cheeks and slowly walked back to the couch.

After opening and sorting all the presents, Taekwoon noticed a velvet box sitting on his nightstand. He was sure that he piled up everything at his couch, so there’s no logical reason for that box to be there.

“Wonshik, is that box meant to be put away, or did I miss it?” asked Taekwoon. Ravi licked his lips and smiled, taking that box to the couch and patted the space beside him. Taekwoon sat there, curious and expectant.

“This is not much, and probably not as good as other stuffs you have, but I hope you’ll like it,” said Ravi as he gave the box to Taekwoon. Taekwoon opened it, revealing a pair of silver and crystal bracelet inside. He was staring at it in awe, words swallowed down by the wave of his emotion.

Carefully, Ravi pulled out one of the bracelets, then took Taekwoon’s left hand and clasped the bracelet around the wrist. It fitted nicely there, and Taekwoon just couldn’t stop staring at it. Ravi then lifted his right hand, holding it up for Taekwoon. It took him a full minute to realize the gesture and the meaning. Slowly, he pulled out the other bracelet, and clasped it around Ravi’s wrist.

As Taekwoon saw the twin bracelet, sitting securely on both of their wrists, tears started to well up in his eyes. He began to cry and Ravi quickly pulled him into his embrace. “Hey, now. It’s your birthday. Don’t cry,” coaxed Ravi. Taekwoon also didn’t want to cry because he knew that Ravi would be worried, but he couldn’t help it. There were just so much emotion overflowing in his heart he couldn’t hold it anymore.

Ravi rocked him gently, patting his back reassuringly until Taekwoon calmed down and stopped crying. He let go of his embrace to wipe away Taekwoon’s tears, then placed a soft kiss on his lips. He intended to end it at that, but Taekwoon quickly closed their gaps, claiming Ravi’s lips with his own. Ravi chuckled against his lips, breaking away from pouting Taekwoon.

“You still have work schedule tomorrow. Let’s have some rest for now,” said Ravi as he stood up, leaving Taekwoon sulking alone on the couch. Ravi chuckled again seeing his behavior. “I’ll tidy up these stuffs first, and get back to you. Be a good boy,” he said as he picked up the stack of empty paper bags and wrapping papers, put them on the basket that was piled with Taekwoon’s new clothes, and brought them out.

Taekwoon reluctantly dragged himself to the bathroom, washing his face and brushing his teeth, then changing into a comfortable pajama. He dropped himself to the bed with a long sigh, still feeling dissatisfied. Still, the crystal bracelet Ravi gave really took him by surprise. He fiddled with it while grinning happily, feeling that they’d become a little more like an actual couple.

When Ravi came back, already changing into sweatpants and T-shirt, Taekwoon patted on the space beside him. Ravi didn’t make any excuse this time, lying on the bed and let Taekwoon snuggled close to him.

“Good night, Taekwoon. Sweet dreams,” murmured Ravi as he kissed the top of Taekwoon’s head. Taekwoon hummed in reply, knowing that he didn’t need any sweet dream when Ravi was there with him in reality.

* * *

Taekwoon and Ravi arrived at the tea shop five minutes before the promised time, but Hakyeon was already there. Ravi greeted Hakyeon from the door before going to the outdoor table, while Taekwoon entered to join Hakyeon.

“Oh, Ravi won’t be joining us? I thought I’m going to be the third wheel to your date,” said Hakyeon, amused. Taekwoon chuckled and shook his head.

“I’ve told you that we’re celebrating my birthday with just two of us. Ravi is very understanding, but he’s always concerned about my safety, that’s why he tagged along,” replied Taekwoon.

“Mm, it must be nice having such caring boyfriend like that,” commented Hakyeon. Taekwoon blushed a little, liking how Hakyeon called Ravi his boyfriend.

After looking at the menu, they decided to go all out, ordering high tea set and some tea assortment. They also ordered a blooming tea out of curiosity. As they waited for their order to arrive, Taekwoon immediately told Hakyeon about the bracelet from Ravi.

“He’s really serious, isn’t he?” commented Hakyeon after he saw the bracelet and heard the story. Taekwoon nodded, but there’s a hint of sadness in his features.

“But he’s still too strict… I can’t hold hands or hug him in public. Even at home, it’s hard to get or give a kiss. And when we finally kissed, he always ends it too quick for my liking,” whined Taekwoon.

“I’m sure Ravi has his own reasons. He’s still your bodyguard after all,” said Hakyeon. Taekwoon sighed, but then he smiled gently again as he played with his bracelet.

“Yeah… I just… I want to keep him by my side always, I guess…” mumbled Taekwoon. Hakyeon cocked an eyebrow.

“And months ago, you wanted to get rid of him because he’s an unprofessional gigantic goofball,” teased Hakyeon. Taekwoon’s face turned red instantly.

“ _Hakyeon!!_ ” he hissed as he slapped Hakyeon’s arm. Hakyeon cackled loudly.

* * *

It was one of the rare occasions where Ravi met Ken at work. Ken was one of the people hired to secure the opening of a makeup brand flagship store, while Ravi was there because Taekwoon was invited as one of the premium guests. Ken whistled at Ravi’s designer suit, as well as his really neat makeup.

“My employer wants to bring me in, not only as a security guard but also his plus one, that’s why I looked like this,” explained Ravi.

“But, boy, even if you tell people that you’re a newly debuted model, I’m sure they’ll all believe you,” commented Ken. Ravi chuckled and shook his head.

“Anyway, everything’s under control?” asked Ravi. Ken cringed a little but he nodded anyway.

“I’m stationed inside, so I don’t know how is it going outside, though. We have an oversized puppy watching the door, so I’m a bit worried,” replied Ken. Ravi was amused that they’re bold enough to include new employee to guard that event. But then again, it’s probably because the scale was not that big.

“Okay, then, I’ll leave you to work. If you need my assistance, don’t hesitate,” said Ravi as he patted Ken’s shoulder.

“Bye, then! I love you, Ravi!” replied Ken as he gave Ravi a heart fingers, then disappeared into the crowds.

“Who was that?” asked Taekwoon, looking both curious and jealous from the way Ken acted so friendly around Ravi.

“That was Ken, my senior and co-worker. We went to the same academy,” replied Ravi. He noticed the frown and added, “He always said ‘I love you’ in place of ‘goodbye’ to everyone.” Taekwoon hummed in reply, still pouting a little.

The pout didn’t last too long, though, since Taekwoon still had to put on his business smile as he talked to the other guests. Ravi had to hold his laughter from time to time whenever someone asked who Ravi was, in which Taekwoon replied with “my friend”, and “it’s a long story” when he was asked how they met in the first place. One of those people even asked “Since when do you have friend?” blatantly and Ravi had to cover his laugh as a fit of coughing. Taekwoon slapped his back hard afterwards.

Ravi himself got questioned several times. People were wondering if he’s a newly debuted model, since he hung out with Taekwoon and he had nice appearance. Ravi only said that he’s working in security business, and only smiled widely at people’s guesses. No one guessed that he’s a bodyguard, though, and he thought that it’s amusing.

“This suit Lyn gave you is quite expensive after all, enough to make people think that you’re the son of a CEO rather than some low-level employee,” commented Taekwoon straightforwardly. Ravi thought that it’s fair enough.

The event went smoothly, and Taekwoon was happy with the sample products they gave as souvenirs. Ravi gave away his to Taekwoon and he happily took it, although he returned a lip balm to Ravi. “Your lips are really dry. Try using this rather than licking them all the time,” said Taekwoon. Ravi nodded and put the balm into his pocket.

“I’ll try making my lips more kissable for you,” whispered Ravi, making Taekwoon blushed deeply.

* * *

Taekwoon decided to have his yearly vacation at the beginning of December, knowing that his schedule would probably be hell when it’s near new year. Usually he went alone, enjoying the freedom, but this time he dragged Ravi along. He had been enduring it for too long. All he wanted was a completely private time with Ravi. The resort he picked was promising tight privacy, and it had proven to be so for the past few years of his visit.

So when they finally arrived at their room, keys handed to Taekwoon with quick “Have a nice stay”, Taekwoon quickly closed the door and pulled Ravi into a kiss. This time, knowing that they’re _finally_ in a very private place, Ravi didn’t stop Taekwoon at all. He tilted his head and parted his lips, letting Taekwoon to deepen their kiss.

The beginning of Taekwoon’s vacation had seemed promising enough.

* * *

It wasn’t as promising as Taekwoon first thought.

Sure, Ravi had been indulging him when they’re locked in the privacy of their room. But as soon as they stepped out, the most Ravi would do was holding Taekwoon’s hand. It was December and it was cold but Ravi wouldn’t let Taekwoon sneakily snuggle with him as they walked around the light garden under the pretense that he’s freezing cold while Ravi was a human furnace. No, Ravi only took off his scarf and put it around Taekwoon’s neck. And when Taekwoon still whined about the temperature, he simply dragged Taekwoon back inside.

The romantic dinner also didn’t quite work. If Taekwoon knew that Ravi would still mind about exchanging any romantic gestures with him in public, although there was barely anyone around anyway, Taekwoon would have opted to get a room service instead.

Taekwoon was already half-drunk and totally pissed when they returned into their room. As soon as Ravi closed it, Taekwoon trapped him on the door, hands on either side of Ravi’s head.

“Why are you so impossible?” complained Taekwoon. Ravi already opened his mouth, but Taekwoon wouldn’t let him talk, “I bring you here with me because I want to spend my vacation with you, hopefully a romantic one, but you just _have_ to deny all my approach! Nobody is going to see, anyway!”

“Yes, there will be somebody seeing us and it’ll be bad for you,” said Ravi sternly. Taekwoon scoffed at the statement.

“Who cares?” spat Taekwoon.

“I care. Above anything, I’m your bodyguard. My job is to protect you,” retorted Ravi. Taekwoon chuckled mockingly.

“What kind of bodyguard kissed their employer?” asked Taekwoon.

“What kind of supermodel kissed their bodyguard?” returned Ravi. Taekwoon scowled, obviously not liking how his own words were used against him. Ravi knew that he’s probably gone too far and he sighed. “That was mean of me. I’m sorry,” he said softly.

The apologetic look and the soft voice made Taekwoon felt bad for complaining. He leaned forward and rested his head on Ravi’s shoulder, lowering his hands and let them rest on Ravi’s hips instead. Ravi loosely wrapped his arms around Taekwoon’s waist, pulling their bodies a little bit closer.

“What do you want to do?” asked Ravi softly. “Obviously I can’t go all lovey-dovey with you outside. But within this room, you can ask me anything.”

Taekwoon straightened up a bit, resting his chin on Ravi’s shoulder as he hummed in contemplation. “So if I tell you to strip, you’ll do it?” asked Taekwoon tentatively.

Ravi chuckled and Taekwoon had already expected him to refuse, but Ravi suddenly heaved him up and Taekwoon yelped as he scrambled to find some hold. He was dropped rather ungraciously on the bed, and was still very surprised when Ravi gave him yet another surprise. The coat Ravi had worn was already on the floor, and he already lifted up the jumper he wore. Taekwoon gaped, not really expecting Ravi to comply with his request.

With the jumper off, Ravi slowly unbuttoned his sleeves, then looked straight at Taekwoon as he opened his shirt slowly, one button after another, from top to bottom. He untucked the front part of his shirt, letting Taekwoon to have a peek of his bare torso. Taekwoon unconsciously licked his lips at the teasing.

“Should I continue?” asked Ravi with a grin, cocking his eyebrow. Taekwoon looked up at him and nodded enthusiastically. Ravi chuckled and pulled off his shirt. Taekwoon took a deep breath at the sight.

“The bottom too?” asked Ravi again, hands already fiddling with the belt.

“ _Yes_ ,” replied Taekwoon breathily. Thinking that Ravi might not hear him, he quickly cleared his throat and repeated, “Yes.”

The grin on Ravi’s face told Taekwoon that he was probably screwed. But he didn’t mind at all. In fact, he hoped that Ravi would actually screw him.

The belt was off and Ravi slipped out of his shoes and socks before unzipping his pants. Taekwoon inhaled deeply again. The loose pants Ravi often wore did nothing to justify Ravi’s legs. He mentally told himself to get Ravi some tight-fitting jeans, and maybe a leather pants or two.

“Do you want this off too?” asked Ravi again, snapping Taekwoon's attention back to the man standing in front of him, thumb hooking at the band of his brief. Taekwoon’s face went red upon the question, and he shook his head as he hid his face behind his hands.

“Please give me room to breathe,” whined Taekwoon. Ravi chuckled at the reaction and bowed down to kiss the top of Taekwoon’s head, a hand resting on Taekwoon’s neck.

“So do you want to enjoy the view or do you want me to put something back on?” whispered Ravi. Taekwoon blushed deeper but he dragged his hands down, peeking on Ravi’s toned body.

“C-can you just… Sit down a bit?” asked Taekwoon. Ravi hummed in reply, sitting at the edge of the bed beside Taekwoon. Taekwoon took a deep breath as he shrugged down the coat that had been making him felt hotter than it already was, then moved over to straddle Ravi. He nudged him to scoot back a little more, giving him more room to move.

Then, following what Ravi had done, Taekwoon pulled off his jumper along with the long-sleeved T-shirt he wore beneath. Ravi could see the blush already spreading to Taekwoon’s chest, making him wanted to touch every inch of it.

“Can I touch you?” asked Ravi as he looked up to meet Taekwoon’s eyes. Taekwoon nodded, hands resting on Ravi’s nape. He sighed contently as Ravi’s hands moved from his still clothed thighs, up to the bare sides and finally resting on the either side of his chest. When Ravi brushed his thumbs over his nipples, sending sparks all over his nerves, he gasped loudly.

“Sorry, too soon?” asked Ravi as he slid his hands down to his waist again. Taekwoon nodded, blushing even deeper. Ravi smiled, placing a hand on Taekwoon’s nape to give him a brief kiss.

“Okay, then. Let’s just sleep? We still have a whole week to enjoy,” suggested Ravi. Taekwoon nodded slowly, still not trusting his voice to talk. He waited until Taekwoon stepped back, and was about to get some clothes to wear when Taekwoon put both of his hands on Ravi’s shoulder.

“Wait, I… Um, you… Let’s just sleep like this,” said Taekwoon. Ravi looked at Taekwoon with surprised expression, but Taekwoon seemed to be very sure about what he just said, despite him blushing furiously about it. Ravi chuckled and nodded, scooting back to the bed and rolled over to untuck the blanket so he could slip under it. When he rolled over again to invite Taekwoon under the blanket, he was welcomed with the sight of Taekwoon taking off his pants.

Taekwoon quickly crawled onto the bed and covered himself with the blanket as he snuggled close to Ravi. “We should be even now,” mumbled Taekwoon. Ravi couldn’t help but think that Taekwoon was really cute.

“Good night, Taekwoon. Sweet dreams,” whispered Ravi before he placed a kiss on Taekwoon’s forehead. Taekwoon hummed in reply, knowing that the reality was much sweeter than his dreams.


	6. Chapter 6

The vacation week went by with both Ravi and Taekwoon not going any further than deep kissing and occasional touching. Ravi was always careful with everything he did and he always asked Taekwon every time he wanted to take a step forward. Meanwhile, Taekwoon got a little too conscious about what would surely happen next if they kept on advancing, and ended up stopping everything and opted to near-naked cuddling instead.

At least he got to touch and kiss Ravi’s chest. And his chocolate abs. He was pleased enough with that.

But even after a mood recharge, it still didn’t change the fact that he’s facing one hell of a schedule. Coffee became his daily battery and he would get really cranky before he took a sip of it.

He was glad that most of his shoots needed him to look like the embodiment of death and wrath, all thanks to his natural look. He didn’t have to fake smiles or soft gestures, which he really couldn’t at the moment.

That’s why when he had a shoot where he had to act as a sweet boyfriend, he messed up completely. He tried to smile and laugh, but those didn’t quite reach his murderous eyes, and he almost felt bad about the other model. After some more NGs, the art director told them to take a break. Taekwoon got an earful about how he’s a professional model and how he should act as one.

Taekwoon was already mildly pissed when the shoot continued, padding back to his position with a long exhale. But the one who sat across him wasn’t the previous model. It was Ravi, who wore the long wig styled in the same way with the female model. Taekwoon instantly bursted into laughter.

“Why are you wearing this?” asked Taekwoon, reaching out to play with the strands of the wig. But when he heard the sound of shutter clicking, he had the idea.

“Well, they only need to take pictures of your face and the back side of the other model’s head, so I figure I’ll take the challenge to make you genuinely laugh,” explained Ravi with a grin. Taekwoon chuckled and shook his head, totally in disbelief at just how far Ravi would go for him.

“You should try going all-out with crossdressing. I can ask for my sister’s old clothes if you want,” teased Taekwoon, grinning widely at the idea. Ravi laughed and made an x with his index fingers.

“No way. It won’t fit anyway,” laughed Ravi. But then he made the flower face pose and tried to make puppy eyes at Taekwoon and said, “But I’m cute enough like this, right?”

Taekwoon laughed again, throwing his head back then leaned forward to rest his forehead on the propped up hand. His whole body was shaking from laughter. He bit his lower lip as he put down his hand, looking at Ravi. “You are so cute, I’m going to have cramps from laughing too much,” he said, still grinning widely.

“Okay, that’s a wrap!” The director’s voice called Taekwoon back to the situation around him. He quickly returned to his calm self, thanking the staff with his business smile. As the hair stylist helped Ravi to take off his wig, he blushed slightly. Just what kind of face he made during that short time, to the point that the director thought that it’s good enough?

His question was quickly answered as the director called him to review the shots. Some of them looked really off because Taekwoon was laughing his heart off. But many looked good, exceptionally good, even. Taekwoon could see it himself just how happy and tender he looked in those pictures.

“It seems that if we need the pictures of you smiling, that bodyguard of yours should be involved,” commented the director. Taekwoon smiled sheepishly and nodded, all while mentally scolding himself to act more professionally next time.

After thanking the art director and saying goodbyes to the other crews, Taekwoon called Ravi and his manager to go have some lunch before going to the next shoot.

“So how’s the result?” asked Ravi.

“They told me to bring you along every time I need to smile or laugh in the shoots,” replied Taekwoon. Ravi chuckled.

“Then please keep this smile-making machine employed, Sir,” teased Ravi. Taekwoon laughed again.

* * *

While the result of the photoshoot was more than amazing, some rumors about Taekwoon were flying around anyway. Apparently, the fans noticed just how genuinely happy Taekwoon looked in those pictures. At first they’re accusing Taekwoon for secretly dating the female model, Nayoung. But Nayoung quickly denied that accusation.

“It’s true that I was hired alongside Leo- _oppa_ for this shoot, but the pictures everyone was talking about weren’t taken with me. There were so many NGs during his shot with me, I was sent home after a short break while _oppa_ stayed to have those pictures taken. The girl in those pictures isn’t me,” explained Nayoung. People became bewildered and tried to find just which girl managed to make Taekwoon smiled that sweetly.

Ravi, who always kept an eye on things concerning Taekwoon, felt both proud and guilty. He’s proud that people noticed just how genuinely happy Taekwoon was with him, but also guilty for indirectly starting up a rumor. Taekwoon seemed oblivious about it, and Ravi told him about the situation. Taekwoon seemed mildly amused.

“Are you not going to make a statement or something?” asked Ravi. Taekwoon shrugged.

“My manager had told me to make one, but I don’t really know what to say,” replied Taekwoon nonchalantly.

“Just tell them it was me? As in, it’s your employee looking silly and all, that’s why you laughed like there’s no tomorrow?” suggested Ravi. Taekwoon considered about it and nodded a little.

“Later, then, if someone asks,” said Taekwoon. Ravi knew that it’s best to release the statement as soon as possible, but he couldn’t force Taekwoon anyway. As long as Taekwoon agreed to make a statement, that’s good enough for him. For the time being, Ravi simply raised the security measures around Taekwoon.

* * *

The chance to straighten up things came quick. Taekwoon was interviewed for a short article about him, which was nothing new. The opening questions were about general things; like how he got into modelling and what kept him going, memorable things, his family’s reaction, and such. But then the interviewer touched the subject of Taekwoon’s recent shot with Nayoung, in which Nayoung denied to be the model for the shoots where Taekwoon laughed his heart out.

“That person isn’t Nayoung. I wasn’t in a very good mood, and the shot had a lot of NGs. After a short break, a certain person stepped in as Nayoung’s body double, since the shot only needed the back side of her head anyway,” explained Taekwoon.

“And that person is…?” asked the interviewer. Taekwoon waived his hand towards Ravi, making the interviewer turned to see him. Ravi smiled and waved his hand in return.

“Ah… your bodyguard?” asked the interviewer to confirm. Taekwoon nodded.

“He looked so silly in that wig. As you can see, he’s very masculine and muscular, and suddenly he showed up with a long wig. The mental image alone is enough to make me laugh again,” explained Taekwoon as he grinned widely remembering the scene. Seeing that, the interviewer finally understood.

The rest of the interview went smoothly as well, and the interviewer asked for group photo when it’s wrapped up.

“Can Ravi join us in a photo too?” asked the interviewer. Taekwoon looked at Ravi with a pleading look and Ravi couldn’t say no to that face. He joined the photo, covering lower half of his face with his hand as he made a peace sign. Both Taekwoon and Ravi thanked the interviewer and photographer, then move out to the next schedule.

When the interview was finally up, the gossip mostly dissipated. Some felt that it’s such an anticlimax, but some voiced their relief about Taekwoon not secretly dating anyone. It was quite amusing for Ravi to see those reactions, but that was good because it meant that people had yet guessed that he and Taekwoon were secretly dating.

For the time being, the crisis was solved and he’s content enough with that.

* * *

The Christmas party wasn’t something Taekwoon usually looked forward to. But after some convincing that Hakyeon and Hongbin would be there too, plus his manager allowing him to have a cheat day from his diet, Taekwoon was a bit more willing to attend. Still, the thing that made him throwing himself completely onboard was Ravi’s offer to come along as his plus one.

Ravi came to Taekwoon’s room after wearing what Taekwoon told him to—a plain black shirt and the light blue suit from Hongbin. Taekwoon was ready to help Ravi with his hair and makeup, but Ravi was frowning at Taekwoon’s choice of suit.

“Don’t you have something that isn’t black?” asked Ravi. Taekwoon shrugged. He had once again wore all black from head to toe.

“I look good in black,” mumbled Taekwoon. Ravi sighed and walked over to his wardrobe.

“You look good in anything and nothing, Taekwoon. Now, since it’s Christmas, let’s find you something brighter,” said Ravi as he looked at the vast expanse of Taekwoon’s suits. Everything was sorted in color, and Ravi had purposely closed the one that held all the black suits he had. “How about this one?” he asked as he pulled a white suit with snowflakes embroidery.

“I wore that to Christmas party last year. But thank you for pulling it out; I’m supposed to donate it already,” said Taekwoon as he stepped forward to take the suit and draped it on his couch.

Ravi looked over again and pulled out a pastel yellow suit. “How about this one?” he asked again. Taekwoon cringed and quickly took it to shove it back into the wardrobe.

“Too bright. And it’s summer color,” rejected Taekwoon.

“Light pink, then?” asked Ravi. Taekwoon shook his head.

“It’s spring color. Also, the one you pointed is light peach, not pink,” said Taekwoon. Ravi shrugged and looked at the suits again, then he pulled a bright red one.

“I know this is probably not a winter color, but it’s Christmas,” said Ravi as he shoved the suit to Taekwoon’s chest. Taekwoon still seemed unsure.

“Red looks better on you,” said Taekwoon. Ravi chuckled and used his free hand to caress Taekwoon’s cheek.

“I’ve told you, you look good in anything. And nothing. But for tonight, try wearing this, okay?” coaxed Ravi. Taekwoon blushed, mostly when Ravi said ‘nothing’, and he nodded. He took the suit from Ravi and exchanged the black one he currently wore with that. When he’s checking his general appearance on the full-sized mirror, Ravi held his waist from behind and placed a kiss on his cheek.

“You look stunning,” said Ravi in Taekwoon’s ear, making him shivered a bit. Taekwoon turned his head so he could share a chaste kiss with Ravi.

“You too. And I’ll make you even more stunning,” replied Taekwoon, making Ravi grinned widely.

“Are you not jealous if I get more stunning to the point that people starting to stare at me?” teased Ravi. Taekwoon bit his lips, caressing Ravi’s cheek gently.

“Oh, they can stare all they want, but I won’t be jealous because only I can touch you like this,” replied Taekwoon. Ravi chuckled and gave him another kiss.

* * *

“Your makeup skill has gone better, Woonie,” praised Hakyeon as he took a closer look at Ravi’s face. He and Hongbin had come earlier to the event, greeting Taekwoon and Ravi the moment they stepped into the ballroom.

“You’re the one who taught me about makeup after all,” replied Taekwoon with a smile. Hakyeon seemed really proud of that answer. Meanwhile, Hongbin looked at Ravi with slightly disappointed smile.

“You should’ve left out the shirt,” commented Hongbin. Ravi immediately shook his head violently.

“It’s winter, Hongbin! I’m not looking forward to die from hypothermia in the name of fashion,” replied Ravi with a laughter.

The four of them stuck together during the event. People recognized Taekwoon first, since he’s a model after all. Then people would notice Hakyeon and Hongbin, since the two of them were behind-the-camera celebrities, earning their reputation from their peerless skills. But when they turned to Ravi, mostly would question why in the world he’s hanging out with such bright stars. The other three would dismiss them with a simple “oh, he’s our best friend” with smiles so blinding it ceased any further questions.

Some managed to recognize Ravi as the model from Hongbin’s photoshoot for that suit, and they also commented, “You should’ve left out the shirt.” Hongbin turned to Ravi with ‘I told you so’ look, and Ravi lightly smacked his back in reply.

As the event rolled away, Ravi happened to see Ken going around with another man who also suited up like the security team. Ken greeted Ravi back, and Ravi introduced him to the other three as well.

“Oh, this puppy here is Hyuk. He’s still a newbie so I have to watch over him,” introduced Ken. Hyuk greeted them all with a bow. After the short exchange, Ken and Hyuk bid a goodbye to them and continued with their patrol.

Taekwoon had begun to feel tired and fed up with having to stay at the party, so he tugged Ravi’s sleeve to get his attention. “I want to get some fresh air,” said Taekwoon as he glanced to the balcony area. Ravi nodded, then told Hakyeon and Hongbin that he and Taekwoon wanted to walk around a bit.

They found a quiet place near the balcony. People probably avoid that spot since it’s colder than the rest of the room, but Taekwoon didn’t mind. He gave out long exhale and run his hand along his scalp, swiping his hair away and let it fell back to its place.

“Should we go home now, if you’re tired already?” suggested Ravi. Taekwoon shook his head slowly.

“Still too soon. Let’s wait for another hour,” replied Taekwoon. He talked like he didn’t care about the time, but he clearly looked exhausted.

“Okay then. I’ll get you some drink,” said Ravi. Taekwoon nodded, not moving from his current location.

Taekwoon watched as Ravi walked to a steward holding some drinks, stopping him to take one for Taekwoon. But then there was a woman obviously pretending to bump onto Ravi and spilled some of her drinks on Ravi’s shirt. Taekwoon was already frowning when he saw how that woman exaggerating her apology, trying too much to look innocent. He twitched when she pulled out a handkerchief from her purse and started patting them on Ravi’s chest, obviously trying to feel him up. What’s more, Ravi didn’t seem to realize that it’s just an act, although he did try to dismiss the ‘help’ from her.

But when she obviously tried to take Ravi someplace else, Taekwoon couldn’t help but to step in. He rushed straight towards Ravi, heartbeat quickened as he heard Ravi trying to refuse the so-called help from her. He grabbed Ravi’s arm she didn’t hold, harshly pulling him closer.

“What took you so long?” asked Taekwoon, feigning curiosity. Both Ravi and the woman turned towards him, and her grip on Ravi’s hand loosened from the surprise of seeing someone as famous as Taekwoon.

“Sorry, I was just—”

“Oh, your shirt is wet. Let’s have it dried.” Taekwoon didn’t even give Ravi the chance to talk, and simply dragged him away from the scene. Ravi followed him, a little confused, but didn’t raise a question anyway.

Taekwoon let go of Ravi’s hand after they’ve walked far enough, returning to the rather crowded area of the party. He still remembered Ravi’s reluctance for any physical touch when there were too many eyes watching. Ravi didn’t try to hold Taekwoon’s hand either, although he did follow him closely until they met Hakyeon and Hongbin again.

“Returning so fast? I think you both will disappear for the night already,” commented Hakyeon with a wink. Taekwoon would be blushing like crazy if he wasn’t too pissed about what had just happened.

“Well, I decided to call it a night already anyway. Just dropping by to say bye,” said Taekwoon casually. Hakyeon cocked an eyebrow and Hongbin narrowed his eyes, both judging Taekwoon.

“Okay, have a safe trip back home. Merry Christmas,” said Hakyeon as he pulled Taekwoon into a hug. He then moved to hug Ravi as well, but Ravi quickly declined.

“Someone accidentally dropped her drink on my shirt, so it’s soaking wet,” explained Ravi. Both Hakyeon and Hongbin said a low ‘aah’, finally understanding just why Taekwoon decided to go home so soon.

“Oh, anyway, Hongbin and I decided to have some barbecue party at my place on new year. Would you like to join us?” offered Hakyeon. Taekwoon was obviously frowning at the mention of ‘party’.

“Who else are going to be there?” asked Ravi. Hakyeon shrugged.

“There’ll only be, like, four people if you two agreed to come. My house is small after all,” replied Hakyeon nonchalantly. Ravi chuckled immediately, while Taekwoon rolled his eyes.

“Just text me the details and all later,” said Taekwoon. After a final goodbye, Taekwoon and Ravi left the place.

* * *

Taekwoon was silent for the whole trip, looking out at the streets and said nothing. He was still quiet as the car pulled out at the front door, and kept it up as he walked towards his room. Ravi was about to turn to his own room, but Taekwoon glared at him, beckoning him to his room. As always, Ravi didn’t question it and followed him anyway.

Once Ravi stepped into the room, he was slammed to the door, hungry lips crashing with his own while the hands roamed over his clothed chest. Ravi still had enough consciousness to softly pushed Taekwoon back, making him pout and glared at him.

“You’re jealous after all,” stated Ravi. Taekwoon yanked the damp shirt harshly.

“You let someone else feel you up,” said Taekwoon, clearly annoyed with it. “And if I didn’t come to take you away, heaven knows what will happen to you.”

Ravi really wanted to remind Taekwoon that he’s a _bodyguard_ and he didn’t get that job because he had to be saved from some perverts. But he wouldn’t deny that when the woman suddenly touched his chest, his mind blanked for a while since he wasn’t expecting that.

“Thank you for saving me,” said Ravi sincerely, complete with a gentle smile that made Taekwoon blushed lightly.

“You should protect yourself better too. Who’s going to keep me safe if something happened to you?” said Taekwoon, releasing the shirt and rested his palms flat on Ravi’s chest, head hanging down. Ravi smiled and cupped Taekwoon’s cheeks, making Taekwoon looked straight to Ravi.

“I’ll be more careful from now on,” promised Ravi. Taekwoon sighed closed his eyes, leaning forward slightly, and Ravi was already familiar with that gesture. He closed the gap between them, gently pressing his lips against Taekwoon’s. He didn’t linger too long, knowing that he still had to clean his damp shirt.

“Stay with me tonight?” asked Taekwoon. Ravi grinned at him, nodding softly.

“Just let me wash and change first. I’ll be right back,” replied Ravi. Taekwoon reluctantly let him go, knowing that he should do the same thing anyway.

Just as Taekwoon finished washing his face and brushing his teeth, Ravi had already returned to his room, sitting on the couch as he read a book. Taekwoon sat beside him, resting his head on Ravi’s shoulder as he peeked at the book. It’s something he had never read before, but if Ravi was reading it, he’s planning to borrow and read it as well.

“Are you already sleepy, or do you want to do something else? Watching some movie, maybe?” asked Ravi. Taekwoon hummed in reply, thinking what should they do.

“How if you just continue reading, while I lay on your lap? You can pat my head and play with my hair,” offered Taekwoon. Ravi chuckled then nodded.

“Sounds good for me,” he replied. Taekwoon quickly shifted his position so that he lay down on his side, using Ravi’s thigh as his pillow. He closed his eyes as Ravi placed a hand on his head, stroking his hair gently.

The peaceful atmosphere lulled him to sleep in no time. When he woke up in the morning, he was already in his own bed, with Ravi holding him loosely. Their legs were tangled and Ravi was snoring softly. Ravi’s sleeping face looked really peaceful with childlike innocence to it. It was such a rare occurrence to see, so Taekwoon indulged in it a little longer.


	7. Chapter 7

Although the barbecue party at Hakyeon’s place was going to be held at night, Ravi and Taekwoon dropped by in the morning anyway, Both of them helped Hakyeon to prepare and marinade the meats they’re going to grill at night, as well as buying some stuffs that Hakyeon ran out of. Taekwoon mostly stayed in the kitchen, while Ravi went out from time to time to pick something from the grocery store.

Taekwoon cooked a rosé pasta for the three of them, surprising Ravi with his cooking skill. He ate while hiding his blushing face as Ravi complimented him, and Hakyeon only encouraged Ravi to say it again and again, obviously delighted at Taekwoon’s reaction.

“So how far have you guys gone? I’ll understand if you want to keep it private, but I’m also curious,” asked Hakyeon as they washed the dishes.

“We’re not having sex, if that’s what you’re asking,” replied Ravi, completely unfazed. Taekwoon almost dropped the plate he held when he heard that.

“Just a heads up, if you guys just somehow feeling it tonight, I keep the lube and condom in the top drawer of the nightstand in the guest bedroom. Spare towels are in the bottom drawer,” informed Hakyeon nonchalantly. Taekwoon was ready to dig a hole and hide there for the rest of the time.

“You sure you’ve stocked enough for yourself and Hongbin?” teased Ravi back, and Taekwoon quickly whipped his head to Hakyeon with wide eyes. Hakyeon was obviously blushing, and Taekwoon put down the glass he held to grab Hakyeon’s shoulders.

“What about you and Hongbin that I don’t know?” asked Taekwoon sternly.

“You didn’t realize that Hongbin and I are dating all this time?” asked Hakyeon back with a bashful grin. Taekwoon blinked a few times, shaking his head softly.

“I know the two of you are close, but I didn’t know that… you’re…” Taekwoon’s words trailed off as he tried to remember all the little gestures Hakyeon and Hongbin threw at each other. Hakyeon had always been really touchy and keen of skinship since long ago, so he never found it weird whenever Hakyeon and Hongbin had an arm around each other, or when Hakyeon rested his head on Hongbin’s shoulder, or how close Hakyeon’s lips to Hongbin’s ear when he whispered something to him.

Taekwoon then turned towards Ravi. “How long since you know that they’re dating?” he asked, refusing to believe that he’s that dense.

“Uh, let’s see… Since the very first time I met them both on set? I mean, it’s really obvious,” replied Ravi with a shrug. Taekwoon’s attention turned back at Hakyeon.

“You’ve been dating him for _almost a year_ and you said nothing to me, your best friend?” protested Taekwoon.

“Actually, we’ve been together for at least two years now. And I didn’t tell you because I thought you’ve already known!” said Hakyeon with a laugh. Taekwoon frowned deeply.

“Why did you assume that I know?” asked Taekwoon.

“Because you referred to him as my boyfriend for more than once?” replied Hakyeon with a dramatic shrug.

“ _I was joking!_ ” said Taekwoon.

“How should I know you’re joking when it’s the fact?” replied Hakyeon.

Ravi finally decided he should step in and stop them from getting into arguments. “What’s important now is that Taekwoon knows the situation now. You can congratulate Hongbin later,” said Ravi. Hearing that, Taekwoon gave out a long sigh, then hugged Hakyeon.

“Congratulation, Hakyeon. I’m happy that you finally get a good boyfriend,” said Taekwoon. Hakyeon chuckled and patted Taekwoon’s back.

“Thank you. And you too,” replied Hakyeon. He then looked at Ravi and gestured him to come closer, hugging him as well.

They got back to the party preparation and then lounged at the living room. There were so many things Taekwoon wanted to catch up about Hakyeon’s relationship with Hongbin, and Hakyeon was more than glad to tell him everything. When the conversation went way too private though, Ravi stopped Hakyeon since he saw just how embarrassed Taekwoon looked.

“You sure you both doesn’t need any advice about how to do it?” asked Hakyeon, seemingly completely baffled but Ravi knew it’s just an act to make Taekwoon felt even more embarrassed.

“I know how to do it, Hakyeon. Thanks for the offer, though,” replied Ravi. Taekwoon was glancing at Ravi upon hearing that answer.

“Do you, really?” quipped Taekwoon. Ravi looked at Taekwoon with a frown.

“Yeah, I do. I mean, this is not my first relationship with a guy anyway, and I’ve done it several times before,” replied Ravi casually. He saw how Taekwoon’s face seemed to drop, and something clicked in his head. “Sorry, I thought—”

“It’s okay. That sort of… explains…” cut Taekwoon, looking down at his fiddling hands. Hakyeon slowly drank his tea as he looked at the two of them being awkward with each other.

“As much as Woonie likes to initiate things, he’s mostly joking about it. He’s totally inexperienced,” commented Hakyeon, earning a hard slap from Taekwoon which he returned instantly and twice as hard. Ravi chuckled at it, and Taekwoon felt how his face was burning hot.

“Okay, thank you for the heads up, then. I’ll be more careful from now on,” said Ravi with a smile. Taekwoon also hit him, but he only laughed in return.

They continued to chat until at some point, Taekwoon was already dozing off leaning on Ravi’s chest. Ravi asked where the guest bedroom was and Hakyeon offered to just guide him there. Carefully, Ravi hoisted Taekwoon into his arms, then followed Hakyeon’s lead. Taekwoon seemed to be really deep in sleep, no sign of waking up even as Ravi lowered him to the bed and pulled the blanket over, only snuggling into the pillow.

Ravi and Hakyeon returned to the living room, chatting again about all sorts of things. Hakyeon tried to prod about Ravi’s relationship with Taekwoon, but his lips are sealed tight and Hakyeon didn’t manage to get the juicy details no matter how much he tried. Just before the sun went down, someone was knocking on Hakyeon’s door. Ravi let Hakyeon to answer it, knowing that it’s probably Hongbin.

That really was Hongbin, and he greeted Hakyeon with a kiss they couldn’t share when they’re outside. Hakyeon pulled away before things went out of hands, since he knew that he had guests. Hongbin greeted Ravi with a grin so wide his dimples showing up, and Ravi offered him a hug before letting him to sit with Hakyeon.

“Where’s Leo by the way?” asked Hongbin, already expecting that he’d be there since Ravi was there as well.

“He’s sleeping in the guest room. You know him; he’ll sleep whenever he can,” replied Hakyeon. Hongbin narrowed his eyes and stare at Ravi.

“I’m surprised you’re not staying with him,” commented Hongbin to Ravi. Ravi chuckled and shook his head.

“As much as I want to stay with him all the time, I want to give him room as well. Besides, it’s probably bad if he becomes overly dependent on me,” replied Ravi.

“Because he’s a supermodel and you’re a bodyguard, is that it?” asked Hongbin. Ravi ran his fingers along his scalp, licking his lips nervously.

“Yeah, pretty much that. I still have company rules I have to abide,” said Ravi with a bitter smile. He was lucky that there was no report yet about him dating Taekwoon, so he still hadn’t had any penalty for it. Romantic relationship with clients was strictly prohibited.

“Is that why you and Taekwoon still haven’t had sex yet?” asked Hakyeon, purely out of curiosity, but it made Ravi choked on his own spit and coughed violently.

“Hakyeon, it’s impolite to ask people about the reason why they haven’t had sex yet,” said Hongbin, although he was clearly amused with the question and couldn’t help but wondering about the same thing.

“It has nothing to do with—okay maybe it has something to do with the fact that Taekwoon is my employer. But most of all, I won’t do it until Taekwoon is ready. End of the story. Can we talk about something else?” replied Ravi, still flustered. Both Hakyeon and Hongbin chuckled at his reaction, but they changed the topic anyway.

When it’s around the time for dinner, Hakyeon and Hongbin set up the barbecue on the porch, while Ravi went to wake Taekwoon up. Taekwoon was clearly unhappy being disturbed from his sleep like that, but he let Ravi dragged him out from the bed and to the porch. Taekwoon was clinging and leaning on Ravi’s back, propping his chin on the shoulder as he sleepily watched Hongbin preparing the coals for grilling.

Taekwoon had only been fully awake when Hakyeon started putting some meat on the grill. He let go of Ravi to take over the grill, working side by side with Hakyeon. Ravi then borrowed the kitchen inside to make some kimchi jjigae while Hongbin made some condiments to go with their dishes. Hongbin also made some a cocktail, putting it in a big jug for them to enjoy.

Ravi came back to the porch with a pot of steaming hot kimchi jjigae, while Hongbin with his condiments and cocktail. Hakyeon and Taekwoon were almost done with the grilling, and Ravi switched with Hakyeon to help grilling the rest of the ribs. Once they’re done, they sat down and enjoyed the meal. Hakyeon and Hongbin were surprised with how good the jjigae tasted, giving praises to Ravi as they ate. Meanwhile, Taekwoon didn’t stop munching at all, only making approving noises and continued to shove food into his mouth.

The food disappeared quickly, and Taekwoon was already clinging to Ravi for more warmth as he slowly drank the cocktail. Hakyeon seemed to be a little tipsy already, laughing more than usual as he kept on hugging and caressing Hongbin, stealing some kisses every now and then. Hongbin didn’t seem to mind, returning all the kisses and holding Hakyeon tight to his side.

Taekwoon looked at Ravi’s profile, and he seemed still far too sober for Taekwoon’s liking. “You should drink more and get totally wasted tonight,” murmured Taekwoon as he shoved his glass to Ravi’s lips. Ravi chuckled, and he drank whatever was left there since he knew that Taekwoon wouldn’t stop nagging him if he didn’t.

“Don’t drink too much. Your hangover case is a severe one,” said Ravi as he patted Taekwoon’s head. Taekwoon whined into Ravi’s arm, biting his shoulder hard as a protest.

“How severe is it?” asked Hongbin, curious.

“I almost got fired because of that,” laughed Ravi. Hongbin gave both of them a judging look.

“Wow, Woonie, that’s one hell of a hangover then,” commented Hakyeon with half-impressed-half-judging look. Taekwoon groaned and bit Ravi’s shoulder again.

“It’s my pops being overprotective as hell like always. My hangover isn’t that bad,” denied Taekwoon. Hakyeon only raised his eyebrows, not exactly believing that it really wasn’t as bad as Ravi made it sounded. In fact, he’s sure that it’s worse.

“Okay, fine, I believe you,” said Hakyeon nonchalantly.

They talked some more, drunk some more, but still managed to stay up for new year countdown. There were sparks of fireworks far at the sky, and they made a toast. Hakyeon quickly kissed Hongbin afterwards, saying that it’s the first kiss of the year, then pretty much collapsed in Hongbin’s arms. Hongbin excused himself and carried Hakyeon into his room.

“Still sober enough?” asked Ravi to Taekwoon. Taekwoon only snorted and blinked slowly in reply, and Ravi knew that he’s so very close to sleeping right there right then.

“Go back to the guest bedroom first. I’ll catch up soon,” said Ravi before he placed a brief kiss on Taekwoon’s forehead. Taekwoon nodded slowly, then got up from his seat. He walked heavily to the guest bedroom, trying so hard to stay awake.

Ravi picked up the dirty dishes to the kitchen, washing them quickly and put them on the drying rack. After that, he came to the guest bedroom, unsurprised to see Taekwoon already sleeping soundly. Chuckling softly, Ravi slipped under the cover and let Taekwoon snuggled closer to him.

“Happy new year, Taekwoon. Sweet dreams,” murmured Ravi as he kissed the top of Taekwoon’s head.

* * *

The hectic schedule made whatever holiday and vacation Taekwoon took before felt like a faraway dream. He was once again being tossed from one photoshoot to another, with interviews in-between, and public appearances for various events on the weekends. While the busy schedule made him felt alive most of the times, there were days when he felt really drained.

He felt especially tired that night, dropping to the hotel’s bed face first once he reached the room. Ravi chuckled at Taekwoon, but he knew that it had been busy lately. After taking off his own shoes and coat, he walked over to take off Taekwoon’s.

“Let me help you change into something comfortable first, then you can sleep,” coaxed Ravi as he patted Taekwoon’s shoulder. Taekwoon turned to him, looking really exhausted already.

“Let’s just sleep naked,” murmured Taekwoon. Ravi chuckled at the request.

“Are you sure?” asked Ravi carefully. Taekwoon nodded, then rolled over to take off his shirt and tossed it to the side. He patted the space beside him, and Ravi knew what he should do.

He pulled off his own shirt and jeans before joining Taekwoon on the bed, letting Taekwoon raking his body with his gaze. He straddled Taekwoon, hovering on him with hands on either side of his head. Taekwoon hooked a hand on Ravi’s neck and pulled him down for a lazy, languid kiss. The other hand moved slowly to trace the bumps of Ravi’s spine, earning low hum from Ravi.

Ravi broke the kiss so that his lips could move lower, tracing down from the jaw to the neck and lightly sucked at the Adam’s apple. Taekwoon shuddered, turning his head to the side as he pushed Ravi’s head down, encouraging him to continue. Ravi brushed his lips along the neck, stopping at the base to lightly suck and nibble the sensitive skin, although he was still careful not to leave any marks. Taekwoon moaned into the touch, blush spreading on his face and chest.

“Is it okay to continue?” asked Ravi, head resting on Taekwoon’s bare chest. Taekwoon nodded firmly, looking down at Ravi with unconcealed eagerness.

Ravi trailed down Taekwoon’s chest with kisses, nipping a mole just under his left chest, before dragging his tongue on the nipple. Taekwoon let out a surprised moan, jerking as he felt sparks of pleasure on his nerves. Ravi took his time licking and sucking, while his hand played with the other nipple, dragging his thumb on it and gave it light pinches. Taekwoon threw his head to the side, biting his hand to muffle his moans. But Ravi pulled down that hand slowly, cupping Taekwoon’s cheeks and kissed him again, swallowing the noises as he let Taekwoon relaxed again.

“Enough for today?” asked Ravi. Taekwoon quickly shook his head.

“Go on. Don’t stop just yet,” said Taekwoon. Ravi placed a kiss on the mole under Taekwoon’s eye before sliding down again, hands brushing at his sides as he trailed kisses down Taekwoon’s torso. Taekwoon could feel heat starting to build up in his gut again, biting his lower lip as an attempt to tone down his moan when Ravi swirled his tongue on his navel, hands resting just above the waistband of Taekwoon’s trousers.

Ravi glanced up to silently ask for permission to continue, and Taekwoon gave a firm nod. Carefully, Ravi unbuttoned the trousers, using his teeth to pull the zipper down. Taekwoon bucked up his hips instinctively, letting Ravi to ease down the piece of fabric. He took his time, planting kisses along the exposed milky white skin. Taekwoon pulled up his legs, impatient to be freed from his trousers. Ravi pulled it off with ease, and Taekwoon felt his breath hitched as Ravi spreaded his legs and left wet trail on the inner thighs.

Taekwoon groaned loudly as he bucked up his hips as Ravi nosed the obvious bulge on his crotch, fingers tracing down the outline. “Shall I take this off?” asked Ravi, head resting on the clothed hip as he dragged his thumb along the waistband of Taekwoon’s brief.

“Yes, please,” breathed Taekwoon, starting to feel desperate for more skin to skin contact. Ravi slipped his hand under the fabric, pulling it off and unconsciously licked his lips as he saw how hard Taekwoon was. The gaze made Taekwoon shuddered, sending excitement down to his dick.

“So, hand or mouth?” asked Ravi teasingly.

“Either. Both. Whatever. Just touch me,” groaned Taekwoon. Ravi chuckled at his eagerness, but he still bowed down anyway.

His fingers closed around Taekwoon’s erection, thumb dragging on the slit before he stroke the whole length slowly. Taekwoon moaned keenly at the sensation, grasping the pillow as he bucked his hips up, desperate for more friction. But Ravi held his hips down with his free hand, making Taekwoon whimpered. After some more strokes, Ravi’s hand settled on the base as he ran his tongue along the prominent veins. Taekwoon gave out a dragged-out moan, crescendoing as Ravi took him into his mouth and engulfed him to the base.

“Shik— _ah_ —” Taekwoon felt like he suddenly forgot how to breathe, desire piling up as Ravi started to move, head bobbing up and down as his hand gently massaged Taekwoon’s balls. He rolled his eyes back as Ravi sunk down again, cheeks hollowing as he sucked hard. Ravi hummed around his dick and the vibration drove him to the edge.

Ravi pulled away again, tongue circling around the head before he sucked hard down to the base. Taekwoon’s broken cry was his only warning before Taekwoon came into his mouth. Ravi swallowed everything he had to give, lightly sucking for every last drop. Taekwoon looked down at Ravi with half-lidded eyes as he pulled away, shuddering at how calm Ravi looked after wrecking Taekwoon like that.

“I’ll be right back,” said Ravi with a gentle smile before he stepped away from the bed, disappearing into the bathroom and got back with a dry towel in one hand and a damp one in another. He wiped the area where he nipped and licked Taekwoon earlier, then dried it off. He put both towels aside and picked a clean underwear from Taekwoon’s suitcase and helped him to put it on, knowing that Taekwoon was still blissfully boneless. Taekwoon noticed the straining bulge under Ravi’s brief. He was probably still hard, but he made no demand or whatsoever to Taekwoon to relieve him.

“You’re still hard,” said Taekwoon, feeling somewhat guilty. Ravi gave him a warm smile and stroke his hair slowly.

“It’s okay; it’ll go soft again. I’m not going to die from this,” said Ravi reassuringly. Taekwoon pouted at the reply.

“Next time, let me take care of you as well,” said Taekwoon. Ravi smiled and nodded, patting Taekwoon’s head softly.

“Okay. Next time,” repeated Ravi. He then left the bed again to pick up the clothes scattering on the floor, folding them and placed them aside on the other bed. He went back to the bathroom to gargle and brush his teeth before joining Taekwoon on the bed. Taekwoon snuggled close to him, kissing him briefly before resting his head on Ravi’s chest.

“Good night, Taekwoon. Sweet dreams,” murmured Ravi before he drifted into sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

Things went just as usual that day for Taekwoon. There was a store opening he was invited to, and he went there with Ravi just as usual. Only this time, Ravi chose to be on standby instead of getting in as his plus one. Taekwoon was a bit disappointed, but he also understood Ravi’s concern about him showing up too often by Taekwoon’s side as more than a mere bodyguard. So he let Ravi to help him coordinating his clothes that wasn’t all black, then went into the venue without him.

When the main event was over, Taekwoon asked to just go back home immediately. He walked out from the store and straight to his car without bothering to look around. He was so used to the privilege of walking around safely, without anyone trying to harm or harass him, all thanks to Ravi’s tight protection. It had become something he thought as a norm, dulling his senses of any approaching danger and lowering his awareness about things happening around him.

And because of that, he was late to realize about what happened right beside him. He could only register some angry yelling from a stranger, and Ravi’s painful shout along with his firm command to have Taekwoon entering his car immediately. The unusual situation made him froze in place, turning towards Ravi in confusion and surprise as his hand stopped at the handle of his car.

The first thing Taekwoon noticed was that there’s a person being pinned down by several security staffs while Ravi stepped away from them. Then he realized that there was blood on that person’s hand. His attention shifted to Ravi, just in time to see him fell down to the ground. As Ravi’s back touched the concrete sidewalk, Taekwoon felt as if his heart was frozen.

Stain of red bloomed on Ravi’s white shirt, with something stuck on his side.

“ _WONSHIK!!_ ” Taekwoon yelled as he kneeled down. He didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know where to look at. The shirt was stained in deeper red around the thing sticking out from Ravi’s side. Taekwoon reached out, his first instinct was to pull that thing out. But Ravi caught his wrist, making him jolted as he looked down at the still conscious Ravi with wide eyes.

“Don’t. Don’t pull it out. It’ll get worse if you do,” groaned Ravi. His voice was more breathy than usual, weaker than usual. He was certainly not okay. Taekwoon was certainly not okay as well.

“Get into the car. Go home,” said Ravi again, sounding more like a command than a demand. Taekwoon shook his head furiously, tears starting to drip down from his cheeks.

“No, I’m not leaving you,” whimpered Taekwoon.

“I’ll be fine. Go home,” said Ravi as he gave a reassuring squeeze on Taekwoon’s wrist. Taekwoon shook his head again, breathing heavily.

There were sirens blaring, and soon enough there were people attending to Ravi. Ravi let go of Taekwoon’s hand, and Taekwoon found himself being pulled away from Ravi. He tried to struggle, but his energy was already drained after seeing what happened to Ravi, so he was dragged away easily. He kept on yelling “Wonshik!” as he was forcefully pushed into his car, pressing his face to the window so he could see what happened to Ravi as the car pulled away.

The last thing Taekwoon saw was Ravi being pushed into the ambulance on a stretcher.

* * *

It had been two days since the incident, and Ravi still hadn’t contacted Taekwoon yet. The police had come to question him, but he was too distracted to answer anything, topped with the fact that he didn’t even realize what was happening at that time. The security company had sent a replacement for Ravi as well, a young boy named Hyuk. But Taekwoon didn’t want any replacement. He only wanted Ravi, so he started ignoring Hyuk and sulked all day long.

Hyuk was nowhere as gentle as Ravi; literally dragging Taekwoon out from his room to sit and eat at the dining room when Taekwoon refused to eat. He used all kind of tricks to make Taekwoon ate, and not even hesitating to use force if needed. Taekwoon really disliked him for that.

The fact that Ravi’s phone was unreachable made him both worried and furious. He had no idea where Ravi was taken, and Hyuk refused to tell him as well. He tried to ask his father, but no avail either. None of his friends and acquaintances could help him too. At times like that, he felt that all the wealth and popularity he had really didn’t worth a thing.

So when Ravi finally called him after a whole week, Taekwoon was more than relieved. He told him that he’s currently in the hospital, that he was fine and the wound wasn’t as bad as it seemed. Taekwoon asked for the hospital’s name and which room he was currently staying at, as well as what time he could visit. Ravi asked him to pass the phone to Hyuk, and Taekwoon reluctantly did so. There were a few ‘oh’, ‘hmm’, ‘okay’ from Hyuk, and the phone was passed back to Taekwoon.

“I’ve told Hyuk about the details. You can come today, after lunch,” said Ravi. Taekwoon gave out a long sigh.

“I miss you so much,” murmured Taekwoon.

There was a long pause before Ravi whispered back, “I miss you too.”

After Taekwoon told him about what time he would come, they passed a goodbye to each other and ended the phone call.

Knowing that he _finally_ could see Ravi again, Taekwoon regained his spirit.

* * *

Ravi was already grinning widely like a schoolboy when Taekwoon came to visit, although he was still dressed in hospital gown with bandages on his arms. Taekwoon was about to tackle him into a tight hug, but Ravi reminded him that he still had stitches and that he’s not looking forward to have his wounds bleeding out again. Taekwoon had to settle with holding Ravi’s hand for the time being.

“How are you doing?” asked Ravi.

“He’s been refusing to eat every day. But worry not, _Hyung_ , I forced him to eat anyway,” interrupted Hyuk, not even giving a space for Taekwoon to lie. Taekwoon glared at him before looking back at Ravi with slight blush.

“I’m too worried to eat,” admitted Taekwoon. Ravi smiled and patted his hand gently.

“Now you know that I’m fine. Please take care of yourself too,” said Ravi. He then turned to Hyuk and said, “Thank you for taking care of him in my place.”

“Well, the payment is really handsome after all,” said Hyuk with a shrug.

Ravi then asked for some private time with Taekwoon, and Hyuk stepped out of the room. After the door was closed, Ravi beckoned Taekwoon to come closer. Taekwoon bowed down, and Ravi hooked a hand on his nape before giving Taekwoon a slow, gentle kiss.

“I miss you, and I miss this too,” murmured Ravi, forehead and nose still touching with Taekwoon. Taekwoon effortlessly closed the gap, conveying an unspoken ‘me too’.

“When will you be discharged?” asked Taekwoon. Ravi shrugged.

“I don’t know just yet. Maybe in a week or two. But you don’t have to worry about me. Just concentrate on your job,” he replied. Taekwoon hated the uncertainty, and he hated how Ravi could so casually remind him about work. But Taekwoon believed that Ravi would certainly come back to him, and that work could provide him enough distractions, so he nodded at that.

“Don’t keep me waiting too long,” whispered Taekwoon. Ravi chuckled and pulled him to another kiss, slow and gentle.

Taekwoon stayed a bit longer to complain about Hyuk, in which Ravi replied with “He’s just trying to help you” and making Taekwoon pouted in dissatisfaction. He also called Hakyeon and Hongbin, letting Ravi talked to them and told them that he’s fine. Hakyeon told Ravi the dramatic version of Taekwoon frantically searching for where he was admitted to, and Taekwoon really wished that he could tackle someone through phone.

After an hour or so, Ravi told Taekwoon to go home and get some rest, and to continue with his usual schedule. Taekwoon kissed him goodbye and went out to get Hyuk.

Once Taekwoon got home and rolled onto his bed, he gave out a long sigh. Another week or two without Ravi would be tough, but he’d try to hang on as much as he could.

* * *

It only had been two days and Taekwoon already missed Ravi again. He tried to contact his phone but no avail. Trying to slip out from his schedule to visit the hospital was also nearly impossible. Hyuk had always seemed to notice how he’s trying to sneak out, catching him with his powerful grip and ushered him back to his track.

On the third day, though, he finally managed to slip out. The dressing room for that shoot had a window leading to the outside of the building. So after the shoot was wrapped and he changed his clothes at record speed, he climbed out from the window and rushed to the main street before Hyuk could notice his absence. He got into a cab and went to the hospital, turning his phone to ‘do not disturb’ mode as he looked out impatiently from the window. But when he got there, he was met with confusion.

“There’s no patient in room 620 since last 2 weeks,” informed the nurse at the information desk after Taekwoon asked what happened to the patient admitted there.

“No, that can’t be. I made a visit 3 days ago and my friend was there,” insisted Taekwoon.

“Let me check,” said the nurse as he made some clicks here and there. “Well, according to the log from 3 days ago, the whole Cedar section was booked  for a drama filming, from room 601 to room 632. So maybe you’re mistaking the room number? Or maybe it's the other branch?”

Taekwoon felt his blood froze when he heard the information. He was sure that he didn’t get into the wrong hospital and he was really sure about the room’s number. Nothing made sense, except if the whole thing was a setup.

The thought made Taekwoon shuddered. That would explain why he couldn’t contact Ravi at all, except for that one time Ravi called him. But then again, just how far the setup was? And who would do that to him, to them? Taekwoon’s head was still running with questions and speculations when he felt a hand on his shoulder, making him jolted in surprise.

“You’re not supposed to be here,” said Hyuk with an annoyed tone. Surely he had been running around trying to find Taekwoon. He was glad that his instinct was right, since he’s not really looking forward to a penalty or such.

“Hyuk, he’s not here. Ravi’s not here. The nurse said—”

“We’re late to your next schedule,” said Hyuk as he dragged Taekwoon away, ignoring Taekwoon completely.

“We were here 3 days ago, weren’t we?” asked Taekwoon desperately. Hyuk only huffed loudly and pulled Taekwoon even harsher, ignoring Taekwoon who kept on asking where’s Ravi and everything.

Once they got into the car, Hyuk looked at him sternly from the front passenger seat. “Look. I’m still relatively new into this company, and I’m really not looking forward to be punished, so please stop asking me about Ravi- _hyung_ and focus on your schedule?” he asked, although it was more like a command.

“But why would asking about Ravi get you into trouble?” asked Taekwoon back.

“Because it’s classified. All informations surrounding him is classified now. Although, I’m still allowed to tell you that he’s alive. But that’s all I can give,” replied Hyuk. That made Taekwoon frowned even deeper.

“What did he do to earn him such treatment?” asked Taekwoon again. Hyuk only crossed his index fingers on his lips in reply, before turning his attention back to the road in front of them.

* * *

Hyuk really didn’t budge no matter what Taekwoon was doing. He tried sulking, but it ended up with Hyuk manhandling him to the point he was both too embarrassed and annoyed to go on. The bribes didn’t go well either, with Hyuk taking whatever Taekwoon offered and only said “it’s classified” in reply. One time he felt bold enough to talk to his father about firing Hyuk, but his father only said “You’ll want him back in the matter of days, just like it happened with Ravi before, so no.”

Hongbin and Hakyeon tried to help, calling the security company Ravi worked at and requesting a service. But it seemed that their team had already made background check or something, since there was no ‘Ravi’ offered to them. When they asked, the operator only said that there’s no one named ‘Ravi’ in their place. Taekwoon wanted to call and asked for a ‘Wonshik’ instead, but he remembered how Ravi said he’s not supposed to tell Taekwoon about his real name, so he ditched that idea.

Then, he started following the news. He tried to find even just a glimpse of Ravi on the reports of stalkers being caught. Everyone seemed familiar and unfamiliar at the same time, and at some point Taekwoon regretted that he never asked Ravi for a picture together.

That thought led him to search old news, the ones he knew for sure that some passerby took Ravi’s pictures. Unfortunately, those pictures were already taken down, and Taekwoon felt dumb for even trying. Still, he ended up searching for the most recent incident, the one that made Ravi hospitalized. He hadn’t done it yet since he was still somewhat traumatized, but he figured that he still had to face it if he wanted to know Ravi’s whereabout.

The news outlet didn’t even list Ravi’s name, regarding him only as “one of the security staffs”. There weren’t many passerby either to take any pictures or videos of the incident. Sighing, he kept on scrolling although he didn’t have too much hope about finding any clue. Eventually, he found a video, blurry and shaky and taken from far across the street. There were too many other noises, but he could somewhat recognized Ravi’s shout.

What came next made Taekwoon froze in realization. He could hear his own voice, loud and clear, yelling out “Wonshik”. His blood felt colder as he heard himself repeating the name, the one he should never tell anyone else.

And suddenly it made sense. Ravi told him numerous times about how things about him were classified. The fact that he gave his real name to Taekwoon was already a problem. He managed to get by from the sole fact that Taekwoon never used that name in public.

But Taekwoon just _had_ to screw up at the very wrong moment.

Taekwoon dropped his phone to the bed, blankly staring at the crystal bracelet circling his wrist with questions running in his head. Did his company knew that they’re secretly dating as well? Was that the reason why Ravi disappeared into thin air? But most importantly, would he come back?

He pulled his arms close to his chest, cradling the crystal bracelet as if his life depended on it.

* * *

Days blurred into weeks, and weeks blurred into months. Suddenly it was almost 6 months since Ravi disappeared from Taekwoon’s live. _Wonshik_ , he told himself. _Ravi is just a name that can be thrown away and changed at will_.

Hyuk was still working with Taekwoon, protecting him and dragging him from one job to another, being both a bother and a brother. Sometimes Taekwoon would meet Ken during his job. Ken mainly asked about how Hyuk’s doing. From time to time, Ken would also drop random conversations about a dog, which much later on Taekwoon realized to be a secretive way for Ken to talk about Wonshik with him. From their short and random exchanges, Taekwoon learned that Wonshik had fully recovered from his injuries and returned to work. Knowing that alone was enough.

That still didn’t stop Taekwoon from looking at the people around him, at some strangers sitting outside a coffee shop, faintly hoping that Wonshik would be one of them.


	9. Chapter 9

The latest tests showed that he was already fully recovered, ready to get back to his job. Since he could no longer use ‘Ravi’ as his pseudonym, he was given another name. After being addressed as ‘Ravi’ for almost 5 years, he was still stumbling with how people called him ‘Siwol’. Still, the new name and the new job made him felt as if he was born anew after the stabbing incident. He got the permission to color his hair, so he dyed it in deep red, the color Taekwoon always said suited him the most.

Just thinking about Taekwoon made Wonshik felt throbbing pain in his heart. After his condition was stable enough, the higher-ups interrogated him about just _why_ Taekwoon knew his real name. There was no way he could lie about it, so he told them that he knowingly and voluntarily gave his real name to Taekwoon.

Things were spiralling downwards after.

They found out about that one time Taekwoon was so wasted and just how close Wonshik was from being dismissed. They also questioned about Wonshik showing up by Taekwoon’s side in various events, which thankfully was still accepted as ‘security measures’ despite how close it was to breaking the rule about having personal relationship with a client. He was quick to hide the crystal bracelet before they questioned it, and felt glad that he always wore it hidden behind his sleeves so no one noticed that the exact same one was circling around Taekwoon’s wrist.

Still, after the evaluation, he wasn’t allowed to resume his post at Taekwoon’s place. People who had connections with Taekwoon were also driven away from him. He was thankful that at the very least, they allowed him to meet Taekwoon for one last time. He really felt bad for staging such thing and didn’t even give a proper goodbye. But sooner or later, Taekwoon would notice the lie, and Wonshik hoped that it’s enough for Taekwoon to get mad at him to the point he wouldn’t try to find Wonshik at all.

For a few months until he was fully recovered, his escort duties were more to watch over goods transport or events that were smaller and less threatening than he usually handled. But after the latest test results, he was allowed to be assigned to some bigger jobs, more well-known clients that were willing to pay much in exchange of the service. Nothing was in long-term; just a quick job that ended in a day or two, stretching to one week at maximum. Still, his schedule was jam-packed, with almost no time to rest. He was almost thankful for it, since it helped to distract him from thinking about Taekwoon too much.

Still, whenever he found some free time, or just before he went to bed, he would search some news regarding Taekwoon. He looked healthy, and his career seemed to be climbing up steadily. Wonshik was glad that even without him, Taekwoon still could continue with his life. He scoffed at the thought, telling himself that Taekwoon was a professional after all. With or without Wonshik, he would blossom, probably to the point where Wonshik wouldn’t be able to reach him anymore. And it’s a good thing, Wonshik told himself. Even if one day Taekwoon forgot about Wonshik completely, he wouldn’t complain.

Kissing the crystal bracelet on his right wrist, he drifted into slumber, dreaming of the soft voice calling out his name.

* * *

There was some sort of huge awarding event going on, and they needed a whole lot of security staffs for it. Wonshik got hired along with many others, including Ken. Being some of the very few employees who had most experiences working on such big event with numerous VIP guests, the two of them were assigned to be escorts for the said guests. The job was basically guarding the drop-off area, then walking the premium guests to their respective seats, reported it to the staffs in that area, then went back to the drop-off area to repeat the process.

“Although there are thorough search in the main entrance for regular guests, please always be on high alert. As much as I don’t want our guests to get hurt, I don’t want any of you returning with any kind of injury, especially the ones that forced you to be hospitalized.” The head of security, Yongguk, glanced to Wonshik for a second, before continuing his speech about punctuality and discipline. Wonshik felt his face getting hot from it.

“Siwol, can I have a word?” asked Yongguk after he dismissed them. Wonshik nodded and walked towards him. It’s clear that Yongguk was concerned about him somehow.

“I know the higher-ups said that you’re fit enough for this, but if your wounds start acting up, you can always tell me and have some rest. Are we clear?” said Yongguk.

“Yes, Sir,” replied Wonshik firmly.

“How do you feel today?” asked Yongguk.

“The test result—”

“I don’t care about the test result. I ask you, how do you feel today?” cut Yongguk quickly. Wonshik took a deep breath and gave out long exhale.

“I feel fine, Sir. I can do this job, and I know my limits. I will surely inform you if there’s anything abnormal happening,” replied Wonshik. Yongguk gave him a warm smile and patted his shoulder.

“Okay, you can go now, Siwol. Remember, don’t push yourself too hard,” said Yongguk. Wonshik bowed in gratitude before going to his assigned post.

* * *

Wonshik felt a bit embarrassed standing there, having his hair slicked back and eyeliners winging his eyes up. He had tried to tell Ken that his appearance was okay, but Ken wasn’t taking any of it. Ken argued that they’re in a premium event, so even the security staffs should look overly handsome as well. In the end, Wonshik gave up, letting Ken to do a makeover to him. Even Yongguk gave both of them a bright smile and two thumbs up, making Wonshik wanted to just dig a hole and stayed there for the rest of the night.

But as soon as his job started, he didn’t even have time to think about his appearance, save for a few times the guests he escorted complimented him. He walked back and forth, eyes scanning the crowd for any potential harm, reporting the condition every few minutes. Two hours into the job, his side started to throb a bit, but he knew that he still could go on.

“Siwol, another car is arriving in 2 minutes, and everyone is occupied already. How long until you can reach the drop-off area?” asked Ken through the earpiece. Wonshik walked a bit faster than before.

“I’ll be there in a minute,” replied Wonshik. He took long strides and reached the main gate, just in time to see a car approaching. Wonshik quickened his pace, and stood in position just a few seconds before the car came to stop.

When the car’s door swung open and the guest stepped out, Wonshik felt his heart also stopped.

Emerging from the black car with green v-neck knits and jeans along with an oversized white coat draped on his shoulder was Taekwoon. Their eyes met, and he could see how surprised Taekwoon was, but he tried to keep his expression and posture straight.

“This way. Please follow me,” said Wonshik as he gestured Taekwoon to the entrance. Taekwoon seemed to snap back from his daze, following Wonshik quietly. The walk from the drop-off area to the VIP seating area felt like stretching to eternity, although Wonshik had walked back and forth for numerous times that evening.

They finally reached their destination, Wonshik calling another staff to show where Taekwoon should sit. Wonshik gave a final bow to Taekwoon before rushing back to the drop-off area. His job for that night wasn’t done yet. But after escorting two more batches, finally Wonshik called Yongguk and asked for some rest.

“Okay, I’ll send Zelo to cover your part. Thanks for your hard work, Siwol,” said Yongguk. Wonshik gave his gratitude before turning to the staff area, finding a hidden corner beside piled up chairs and slid down to the floor.

The pain on his side wasn’t as bad as the throbbing ache in his heart. He took a deep breath and let out a long exhale, repeating it a few times. Clutching the crystal bracelet through the fabric of his sleeve, he willed himself to calm down.

The night would be a long one.

* * *

Taekwoon practically sank into his seat right after the staff who escorted him there left. The hair was different and someone definitely put on an eyeliner on him, but Taekwoon could recognize him as Wonshik. Out of all places and moments, they just _had_ to meet at the situation where Taekwoon couldn’t pull him aside to the quiet corner and asked about so many things.

He sat quietly as he fiddled with the crystal bracelet on his wrist, looking to the entrance to see if Wonshik would appear again. Wonshik did appear, handing over some people to the other staff, then turned away. Taekwoon only saw him one more time after that, and he felt his heart sank.

The main event started and it felt like a blur already. Taekwoon himself didn’t receive any awards, and he’s partially glad for that, since he didn’t feel that he’s in the condition to give any speech or whatever on the stage. Around an hour later, Taekwoon felt too restless to sit still, so he left his seat and exit the event hall to find some fresh air.

Just as he stepped out from the event hall, he found Wonshik standing by the door, seemingly to be guarding it. They exchanged gaze, and Taekwoon could see surprise in Wonshik’s eyes before it faded away just as quick.

“May I help you?” asked Wonshik.

“Um, where’s the toilet?” replied Taekwoon. He immediately felt stupid for asking that, but that’s the first response he could come up with.

“This way, please,” said Wonshik as he gestured Taekwoon to come with him. He nodded slightly, then followed Wonshik’s lead. Thoughts were swimming in his head and he didn’t know which one he would say first. Before he could say anything, they arrived outside the toilet.

Instead of going in, Taekwoon stared closely at Wonshik. “It’s almost been a year,” Taekwoon said slowly. He couldn’t even recognize his own voice, but he continued anyway, “It’s almost been a year and you have nothing to say to me?”

Guilt seeped through the cracks of Wonshik’s professional facade. “I’m sorry,” hushed Wonshik, his sight falling down, just to catch the crystal bracelet resting on Taekwoon’s left wrist. He felt as if there’s a lump in his throat, making it hard to breathe.

“I don’t want your apology. I want—” Taekwoon gave out a long exhale. His head and heart were in mess. “Tomorrow, 9 AM, the cafe we went to the first time we met. Don’t run away,” instructed Taekwoon. Wonshik nodded in reply, and Taekwoon felt that the situation went awkward right after.

“Can you escort me back? I don’t actually need to use the toilet. I just… want to talk to you,” said Taekwoon. He saw how Wonshik quickly slipped back into his professional mask and wondered what else changed about him. As they walked back to the event hall, another security staff walked past them and greeted Wonshik as ‘Siwol’. Taekwoon thought that it explained why the company said that there’s no one named ‘Ravi’.

The rest of the event felt really slow, and Taekwoon excused himself from the afterparty in favor to a good night rest. In the end he was tossing and turning, anxious for the meeting with Wonshik in the morning. When he was finally able to sleep, he was clutching the bracelet close to his heart.

* * *

Wonshik was glad that he got a day off after the event instead of going straight to another job. He still couldn’t really decide whether or not to show up at the cafe, but in the end he showered and changed into something decent before heading out from his dorm.

He arrived far too early, ending up ordering some bread and coffee while waiting. He picked a spot near the entrance, so that Taekwoon could easily spot him later. The bread was gone in an instant, and he was on the second cup of coffee when he noticed someone approaching his table. Looking up, it was Taekwoon.

Whether it’s the time they spent away from each other or something else, Taekwoon looked even more beautiful than before.

“It’s been awhile,” greeted Wonshik. Taekwoon only nodded in reply. They felt that the current condition was worse than their first meeting. The fact that so much happened between them made it even more awkward.

“So… Care to explain what in the fresh hell is happening? I don’t take ‘classified’ as answer. I’m already fed up with Hyuk saying that every single time,” said Taekwoon as he took the coffee without even asking for Wonshik’s permission. Wonshik chuckled at the gesture and the question.

“He’s not completely wrong, because it really is classified,” replied Wonshik. Taekwoon looked so very done already.

“Then what can you say that isn’t classified?” asked Taekwoon.

“That I miss you so much and that I hoped you’ve forgotten about me already,” replied Wonshik straightforwardly. He was playing with the crystal bracelet under the table, hidden behind his sleeve.

Taekwoon chuckled, looking somewhat hurt and offended. “You’re doing a very shitty job at that, then, showing up like this,” said Taekwoon bitterly, looking down at the cup he held.

“So you prefer that I never show up?” asked Wonshik. Taekwoon shot his sight up, staring right into Wonshik’s eyes with both anger and sadness.

“I prefer that you never disappear at all,” said Taekwoon firmly. His eyes were already glistened with tears, threatening to fall anytime. The look made Wonshik felt his heart squeezing painfully.

“I’m sorry,” said Wonshik quietly. Taekwoon gave out a long exhale as he looked away, wiping the tears that had started rolling down.

“I’ve told you, I don’t want your apology,” said Taekwoon. He returned his sight to Wonshik and continued, “I just want you to return to me. Or is it too much to ask?”

“I want to, but I can’t,” replied Wonshik almost immediately. Taekwoon scoffed.

“Is it the company’s policy again? Do they ban you from returning to me? Then what’s the point of you showing up now? Adding salt to the wound?” bombarded Taekwoon. Each question pierced Wonshik’s heart like glass shards.

Silence fell between them, and Wonshik let Taekwoon finished his coffee. Since they couldn’t find anything else to say, they left that cafe. Just as they stepped out, Wonshik saw someone rushing towards them—towards _Taekwoon_ —and his first instinct was to stop that person, grabbing his shoulder and twisted his arm on his back and forced him to kneel.

“Ouch, dude, I just want to ask Leo’s signature for my sister!” shouted that person in pain. Taekwoon patted Wonshik’s shoulder and Wonshik let go of the man.

“Sorry. Safety measures,” said Wonshik as he offered a hand to help him stand. Upon closer inspection, he didn’t seem hostile at all. Wonshik felt embarrassed already.

“Please sign it for Eunha,” said the young man as he pulled out a notebook and a marker. Taekwoon took those things and signed a page, adding a generic message as well. He returned the notebook and marker to the man, who quickly bowed in gratitude and left.

Taekwoon turned to Wonshik with a slight smile, sighing softly. “You know… You’re no longer my bodyguard. You don’t have to protect me like that anymore,” said Taekwoon. Wonshik turned to him, about to say things like _‘I still care about you anyway’_ or such, but then he spotted Hyuk at the outdoor seat, waving at him with a mischievous grin. Wonshik really wanted to dig a hole and hide there.

“ _Hyung_ , just quit our company and find a job at, I don’t know, Hongbin- _hyung_ ’s studio, maybe? So you won’t have to worry about dating Leo- _hyung_. Or marrying him,” suggested Hyuk. Wonshik pointed at him with warning look, despite his reddening ear.

“Brat,” hissed Wonshik.

But surprisingly, Taekwoon laughed out loud at the comment. He laughed so hard he squatted down and wheezed. Wonshik squatted down as well, concerning Taekwoon’s condition. As they got to the same eye level, Taekwoon circled his arms around Wonshik’s neck and pulled him close, crashing their lips together. He didn’t care if there’s paparazzi or such around there, or that people were staring at them.

Hyuk’s words felt like a wake-up call for Taekwoon. Why didn’t he ask Wonshik to quit sooner? He had all sorts of connections needed to help Wonshik found new job. Hell, he could pull some strings and make Wonshik hired in the same modeling agency he was in. He had so many options he didn’t realize he had.

“Come back to me, Shik,” whispered Taekwoon as he pulled away. “I can help you find new job; something that can let us together, let me call your name without any fear of being punished. Just come back to me. Come with me.”

Wonshik chuckled, looking somewhat lost. “Am I allowed to do that?” asked Wonshik quietly. Taekwoon nodded, caressing his face gently.

“You’ve helped me through a lot of things. Let me handle this one for you now. I just need you to promise that you’ll come back to me, and don’t ever leave me again,” said Taekwoon firmly. Wonshik chuckled again.

“Taekwoon… Are you proposing to me?” teased Wonshik.

“Didn’t you do it first, with the paired bracelet and all?” teased Taekwoon back. Both of them laughed, almost kissing again when they heard Hyuk clearing his throat loudly.

“Sorry to break the fun, but Leo- _hyung_ still have a schedule after this,” said Hyuk. Embarrassed, both of them stood up and stared at each other awkwardly.

“I don’t know whether I can quit right away or not, but I’ll try telling my supervisor first,” said Wonshik, trying to be realistic. Taekwoon nodded, knowing that it was something he couldn’t interfere with.

“Let me know when you’re ready to come back,” said Taekwoon. Wonshik nodded, promising that he’d keep in contact. After a brief kiss, Taekwoon bid a goodbye to Wonshik, feeling a little bit better since he knew that Wonshik would be back.

* * *

The quitting process was surprisingly smooth. Wonshik wrote a resignation letter that he addressed to his direct supervisor, Yongguk. Yongguk then called Wonshik to his office to talk about it, revealing that the company was in the middle of deciding whether or not to fire Wonshik. Apparently the news about what he and Taekwoon did in front of that cafe reached the higher-up’s ears and they deemed it as unacceptable behavior. But since Wonshik was planning to resign as well, they took the middle road where Wonshik could immediately quit and both parties didn’t have to pay any penalty to the other.

Wonshik found an apartment and quickly moved in after he packed his belongings from the dorm. It wasn’t too big, but spacious enough for him to live comfortably. Taekwoon came to visit after Wonshik got everything in place, and he noted about how comfortable the apartment looked.

“You can stay here whenever you want,” said Wonshik casually. Within the next week, half of his wardrobe was filled with Taekwoon’s clothes, and many of his stuffs came in pairs.

Hongbin gave Wonshik a job in his studio, having him as his assistant and teaching him some photography techniques. Wonshik was proven to be a quick learner, and his attention to even the smallest thing helped Hongbin to achieve better results with his photo. On his free time, Taekwoon also taught him some modeling basics, and Hakyeon taught him some basic makeup. Sometimes, when Hongbin’s model didn’t come in time, he would take the role, and this time he didn’t have to cover his face anymore.

“What should I write your name as?” asked Hongbin afterwards.

“Just use ‘Ravi’. I’m still too used to that name after all,” replied Wonshik casually.

Within the next few months, Wonshik signed a contract under the same modeling agency with Taekwoon’s, feeling glad that there was no rule about dating a fellow model. Hongbin would gleefully and teasingly hired them in pair, and soon enough others followed, and the rumors about them dating no longer became mere rumors or scandal.

“So,” Taekwoon said as he leaned back to Wonshik, “Jung Wonshik or Kim Taekwoon?”

Wonshik chuckled at the question and reached for Taekwoon’s left hand to be entwined with his own right hand, the twin bracelet circling their wrists. “I don’t know. We can play rock-paper-scissor to decide,” replied Wonshik.

“Then Jung Wonshik, it is. You always lose in rock-paper-scissor,” commented Taekwoon. Wonshik chuckled again.

“As long as I can be with you, I don’t care about my name. Whether it’s Kim or Jung, Wonshik or Ravi,” said Wonshik before he kissed Taekwoon’s cheek. Taekwoon turned, looking at Wonshik at unspoken command. Wonshik leaned in again, letting their lips met slowly and gently.


End file.
